With the series-win, India climbed to the second position in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test rankings.
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Kohli was leading India in the second full series since being appointed as the regular Test skipper in January.
“But we have the experience with batsmen like Amla and de Villiers out there in the middle”.
Paceman Umesh Yadav chipped in with three wickets as South Africa were bowled out for 143 soon after tea, chasing a massive target of 481.
The visitors lost Dean Elgar cheaply before Amla and Temba Bavuma (34) started blocking balls after balls in a desperate bid to take the match into the fifth and final day.
Jadeja’s spin partner Ravichandran Ashwin then removed J.P. Duminy lbw for a duck to reduce the Proteas to 112-5. At one stage, Jadeja bowled 12 consecutive maidens before he finally got rid of du Plessis.
India’s off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was the pick of the bowlers with 5/61.
As India’s spinners made South African batsmen hop and jump, a debate raged over the underprepared pitches that were laid out for the series. Kagiso Rabada (South Africa) played his test debut match.
South Africa and England will square off in a four-match Test series begingging on Boxing Day in Durban.
In a remarkable display of dour batting, South Africa scored 143 runs in as many overs before collapsing in the very next ball in their second innings. And on the final day, with the signs of the surface having slowed down considerably, the trio of Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis stonewalled a further 48 overs for the loss of just one wicket to raise their chances of escaping with a draw. We turned things around in Sri Lanka and that was a major boost for our mental set up and confidence.
“Not being able to score runs in the series certainly was disappointing for me”.
In the first two sessions, he looked the only bowler who troubled de Villiers.
De Villiers is the scorer of the fastest fifty and century in ODI cricket but continued to demonstrate extraordinary restraint at the crease, making it through to tea in the company of wicketkeeper Dane Vilas (13).
That reduced South Africa to 112 for five and also exposed the inexperienced lower order, raising Indian hopes of registering a well-fought victory.
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While the persistent blocking of Amla and De Villiers provided little in the way of entertainment, there was plenty to admire in terms of resolve and concentration, especially given that South Africa have only passed 200 once during this series.
