Aiden Markram warms up for Tests with brisk century on another rain-hit day
Temba Bavuma hits an unbeaten half-century as South Africans get to 199 for 4 in 50 overs of action
ESPNcricinfo staff
27-Sep-2019
Stumps South Africans 199 for 5 (Markram 100, Bavuma 55*, D Jadeja 2-52) v Board President's XI
Aiden Markram scored 100 off only 118 balls and Temba Bavuma a more sedate unbeaten half-century to take the South Africans to a strong 199 for 5 on another rain-hit day of their tour game against Board President's XI in Vizianagaram. The weather was too poor for any play to happen on the first day and only 50 overs were possible on the second.
This is the South Africans' only warm-up game before the first of three Tests against India, starting October 2, and it didn't start too well after Faf du Plessis won the toss and opted for first strike. Umesh Yadav, who has replaced the injured Jasprit Bumrah in the India Test squad, struck first by getting Dean Elgar out caught by Priyank Panchal for 6 in the seventh over. Shardul Thakur, the other new-ball bowler, didn't get lucky, but first-change Ishan Porel did, trapping Theunis de Bruyn lbw for 6 in the 13th over.
That left the scoreboard reading 33 for 2, with Markram looking in fine form, and he put together 55 for the third wicket with Zubayr Hamza to put the innings on the rails.
Hamza, a highly-rated 24-year-old batsman who made his Test debut against Pakistan at home earlier this year, hit three fours and a six, but didn't last too long, becoming left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja's first victim in the 22nd over after scoring a 26-ball 22.
The most important partnership of the day came after that, when Markram and Bavuma lifted the total from 78 for 3. Markram, who came into the match on the back of an innings of 161 for South Africa A against India A in a four-dayer in Mysuru just over a week ago, got to his century with 18 fours and two sixes before retiring out.
Bavuma, however, carried on and got his half-century but lost his captain on the last ball of the day before bad light stopped play. Du Plessis, batting at No. 5, was Jadeja's second wicket on the day when he was also trapped lbw, sent back for 9 in 29 balls. Bavuma ended with 55 runs against his name.
