More than a series win or a mere win, it’s the confidence that the young South African team would have wanted to take along home with them from their tour to India. However, any such hopes for SA were whitewashed in Ranchi after India beat the former by an innings and 202 runs in the 3rd and the final Test of the series.
With a dominating 3-0 win, India not only registered their biggest win in Test against the Protease but also assured South African selectors have a job to do. A job to rethink the team that could vary the result when they tour England in the absence of AB de Villers, Imran Tahir, Hashim Amla.
Moreover, unlike the last tour of South Africa, when only one out of four tests went beyond three days, this time, there were no complaints about the pitch. And likely, there are no reasons to complaint but only blame lack of experience of the South African batsmen.
In the third test, India didn’t need a towering 1st innings score like the one they forged in the 1st inning of the 2nd test. On day 1&2, India rode on the likes of Rohit and Rahane to score enough to bowled out South Africa twice and complete the maiden whitewash against the same.
With the win, India also consolidates the No.1 position on the World Test Championship points table with a score of 240. South Africa, on the other hand, will have to wait to open their WTC account.
Throughout the test, oops!! series, it was a delight to watch the Indian pacers get edges, damage wickets and produce lethal bounce unlike the last series, wherein, spinners did the majority of the job.
Pacers send fury into the South African dressing room securing 12 out of 20 South African wickets in the 3rd Test. Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami, with 5 wickets each, heaved unplayable deliveries at the batsmen to rattle the top order that included the likes of Faf du Plessis and Quinton De Kock.
India’s Sixth Clean Sweep at Home
This is India’s sixth clean sweep at home in the three-test series an experimental one indeed, as India added to its long list of faithful Test openers.
While Rohit Sharma’s donned and enjoyed his new role as an opener amassing 529 runs to become the “Player of the Series”, Mayank Aggarwal, with a double-ton and a ton, secures his place in the Test side. At least in Test matches at home.
