India, Nov. 9 -- This seems to be the year of South African swagger on the cricket field. Chasing down a challenging target against Australia at Lord's to win the World Test Championship final in June, the first major ICC title for the Proteas, also appears to have freed the larger group in red-ball cricket.

On Sunday, South Africa A pulled off a sensational win over India A in their second unofficial Test, making light of what skipper Rishabh Pant would have seen as an improbable target when he set them 417 to get overnight in the last innings on the fourth and final day at the Centre of Excellence ground in Bengaluru.

India A won the first of two four-day games, Pant leading with the bat after hiccups. If the home team felt it could c...