Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Day 5

1943dThe Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy

India break blockathon to win series 3-0

India broke past stubborn stonewalling from an AB de Villiers-led South African line-up to wrap up a 337-run win in the Delhi Test and take the series 3-0

1943dSidharth Monga in Delhi

Test side's resurgence began in Australia - Kohli

Virat Kohli has said his Test side showed first signs of resurgence in Australia where India managed to draw two Tests out of the four, and came really close to winning the one that they lost in Adelaide

1943dFirdose Moonda in Delhi

Amla defends blockathon tactic

South Africa captain Hashim Amla has said that with the series gone, his team was "looking to gain something" by dead-batting throughout the final day of the Delhi Test

1943dESPNcricinfo staff

South Africa fails to save Test, as Ashwin claims five

R Ashwin continued his impressive display with the ball and claimed another five-for to help India trump South Africa by a massive 337-run margin in the fourth and final Test that ended in Delhi on Monday.

1943dSidharth Monga

Ashwin's Johannesburg pain turns Delhi redemption

A disappointing Johannesburg Test in 2013 meant Ashwin was dropped, perhaps unfairly, from the team for six matches. Two years and a tweaked bowling action later, he has emerged as one of India's best impact players

Day 4

1943dThe Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy

South Africa push for draw in epic blockathon

In their final innings of a long and wretched tour, South Africa's batsmen produced their most unyielding display, responding with dour defence in the face of a mountainous fourth-innings task

1943dFirdose Moonda in New Delhi

Bavuma - small man with a big heart

By stonewalling an accomplished attack on a tricky surface, with the team having their backs to the wall, Bavuma has not only shown he has the character of a Test opener, but also earned the right to be in the starting XI when England come calling

1943dESPNcricinfo staff

Ajinkya Rahane becomes fifth Indian to score twin tons

Ajinkya Rahane, on Sunday, joined a select group of Indian batsmen to score two centuries in a single Test, as he steered his side to a mammoth 480-run lead in their second innings against South Africa in the fourth Test being played in Delhi.

1943dESPNcricinfo staff

Vijay fined for showing dissent

M Vijay was fined 30% of his match fee for showing dissent at an umpire's decision on the third day of the Feroz Shah Kotla Test

1943dSidharth Monga

South Africa ensure Test retains its draw

Victory is beyond South Africa but another awesome achievement remains possible. Will time run out on India? Is there a hero waiting to be made? The beauty is, no one knows

Day 3

2504dThe Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy

Kohli, Rahane lift India's lead to 403

An unbroken 133-run partnership between Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane - the first century stand of the series - deflated South Africa after Morne Morkel had given them a sliver of hope with three early top-order wickets

1943dSidharth Monga in Delhi

Dhawan's doggedness better than numbers suggest

After scoring a pair in Mohali, Shikhar Dhawan has tightened his game and backed his defence, but the challenge to convert the disciplined efforts into big innings still remains

1943dFirdose Moonda in Delhi

The stop-start story of Abbott's Test career

A strong performance followed by time outside the XI has been a recurrent theme in Kyle Abbott's Test career so far. And it looks unlikely to change in the near future

1943dESPNcricinfo staff

Virat Kohli helps lift India's lead to 403

An unbeaten 83 from Virat Kohli helped India, who were struggling at eight for two at one stage, recover to post 190 at stumps on day three of the fourth Test being played in Delhi on Saturday

Day 2

2504dThe Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy

Jadeja grabs five, shell-shocked SA tumble

A five-wicket haul from Ravindra Jadeja spun South Africa out for 121 in good batting conditions after India posted a total of 334 in their first innings

1943dSidharth Monga in Delhi

Kohli orchestrates the perfect choke

Throughout this series, never mind the pitches earlier, India have made it seem like South Africa are batting against 18 fielders, and not nine

1943dFirdose Moonda in Delhi

Reality bites dazed South Africa

A combination of technical deficiencies, temperamental uncertainties, and India's predatory instincts rolled South Africa over again but this time the visitors were also left mentally shot

1943dSidharth Monga in Delhi

Rahane revels after turning full circle

Ajinkya Rahane had to fight off memories of his forgettable debut in Delhi to resurrect India from a position of vulnerability. In doing so, he struck the only century of the series so far

2504dESPNcricinfo staff

India pointed the guns, but SA pulled the trigger

Sanjay Manjrekar has his say on a day that was completely dominated by India after South Africa shot themselves out for 121 and were left facing the prospect of a 3-0 series defeat

1943dESPNcricinfo staff

Ravindra Jadeja's five-for puts India in command of fourth Test

South Africa's spinner Dane Piedt troubled India's batsmen on Thursday, a day later Ravindra Jadeja returned the favour and ripped through South Africa's batting ranks by claiming a five-for to restrict them to just 121 runs in their first innings, of the

2504dFirdose Moonda in Delhi

South Africa's four cardinal sins

South Africa went nine years without tasting a Test series defeat on the road, but all the fighting traits which defined them during that run have been missing in India

Day 1

1943dThe Report by George Binoy

Rahane steers India after Piedt four-for

Considering they were effectively operating with a three-man attack, South Africa did incredibly well to take seven wickets on a pitch that was better for batting than the one in Nagpur

2504dSidharth Monga in Delhi

Power to the people lets Delhi thrive

The common man has taken over the most exclusive of clubs, thanks to an outsider and under retired Delhi High Court judge Mukul Mudgal's charge, the first day of the India-South Africa Test was a sound success

1943dFirdose Moonda in Delhi

Dane Piedt steps up to answer Amla's call

With South Africa playing only two frontline seamers and Imran Tahir leaking runs, Dane Piedt stepped up in Delhi, performing the dual role of holding one end and plucking wickets

1943dSidharth Monga in Delhi

Rahane buries Kotla ghost in tough conditions

Thanks to Ajinkya Rahane, India have posted the highest total of the series, and his average in India is past 22 now. That absolute failure of a series, which looked likely, can wait despite such tough conditions

1943dESPNcricinfo staff

Dale Piedt cuts through India on day one

South Africa's off spinner Dane Piedt - playing his first match of the Test series in India - made the most of his opportunity and claimed four wickets to help restrict India to 237 at stumps on the first day of the fourth Test that began in Delhi on Thur

Others

2964dAayush Soni

The Kotla shambles

In February 1999, I went to watch a cricket match for the first time at a stadium and was witness to a moment in history. Pakistan, on tour in India after 12 years amid the latest peace initiativ

2504dIan Chappell

What's a good pitch?

One that gives batsmen and bowlers equal opportunity to succeed. Delhi and Adelaide did that

2504dAakash Chopra

Why South Africa's shut shop was incredible

Their decision to block every delivery in Delhi required not just discipline but also infinite amounts of concentration, patience, adaptability and excellent technique

1943dSidharth Monga in Delhi

India aggressive on the field but defensive off it

Straight off the bat, India have been coy about the pitches rolled out for the series. They have refused to answer direct questions, comparing the Tests against South Africa with whatever seems convenient to them

1943dSidharth Monga in Delhi

No sense in blaming the wicket - Kohli

The ICC match officiating team's "poor" rating of the Nagpur pitch has had no impact on Virat Kohli's outlook towards the playing surfaces

1943dFirdose Moonda in Delhi

Hurting South Africa begin new adventure

A proud South African record has come to an end, but they will be keen to rekindle their spark for their summer of Test cricket has a lot more ahead

India's biggest

337

Margin of victory for India, their largest in terms of runs in Tests beating their 320-run win against Australia in Mohali in 2008.

Duminy's worst

10.62

Duminy's average in Tests in India, which is his lowest in any country (Min. 2 inns). He doesn't average less than 20 in any other country.

Maiden, Maiden, Maiden

17

No. of consecutive maiden overs by Jadeja in this inns; missed breaking Bapu Nadkarni's record of 21 consecutive maidens vs Eng, Chennai, 1963-64..

Block, block, block

49

SA's score after 50 overs, the lowest by any team after 50 overs of a Test inngs since 2002. The previous lowest was 68, also by SA, v WI in 2005

India's best vs South Africa

481

Target set by India in this Test is the highest they have ever set against SA and the fifth highest against all teams.

In Elite Club

4

No. of Indians who scored 100s in each inns of a Test, before Rahane - Hazare, Gavaskar, Dravid and Kohli. Rahane only the 9th overall batting at No.5 or lower.

Twin 75s

2

No. of Indians scoring 75 or more in each inns of a Test at No.5 or lower, before Rahane - Pataudi 75 & 85 v Aus, MCG 1967 and Laxman 76 & 124* v NZ, Napier 2009.

A Long wait

115

Number of century-less partnerships in the series before the first by Rahane and Kohli in this innings.