By: Tarish Bhatt
Faf du Plessis and Hashim Amla tried, tried hard, but at the end it proved to be a too bigger task for either of them, as they couldn’t stop Team India from winning the Nagpur Test, and sealing the four-match series with a game to spare.
The result of the game was decided when India posted an imposing 310-run target for South Africa on a square-turning Nagpur pitch, but du Plessis and Amla batted pretty well in delaying India’s celebrations.
Once Team India broke the fifth wicket partnership between Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis, that was that for South Africa, it was just a matter of time for the hosts to bundle the Proteas innings.
Earlier, in the morning on the third day, Team India made early inroad and dismissed overnight batsman Dean Elgar and then the big fish AB de Villiers, both batsmen were dismissed by off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
Ravichandran Ashwin continued his great run with the ball, and ripped through the Proteas order, scalping seven wickets in the second innings. He finished with a total of 12 wickets in the match.
Riding on superb performance from all three spinners – Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Amit Mishra – bowled exceptionally well and took India to a 124-run win over South Africa.
Earlier, on the first day itself, Team India took the initiative by posting 215 on the board, thanks to gritty knocks from Murali Vijay, Ravindra Jadeja and Wriddhiman Saha, on a track that was turning right from the word go.
The Indian team also chipped-in with a couple of South Africa wickets on the first day only, and continued to ask questions on the second day, eventually bundling the Proteas for a paltry 79 to take a healthy lead.
South Africa, however, riding on a brilliant spell of Imran Tahir, dismissed Team India for 173, with Shikhar Dhawan top-scoring on a day that witnessed as many as 20 wickets falling in a full day’s play.
The Indian spinners again wreaked havoc in the final few overs of the day, getting a couple of South African wickets, and ensuring that the match end inside three days.
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