Two in two for Nadeem as India wrap up 3-0 sweep
India take maximum WTC points from series with innings and 202-run victory
India take maximum WTC points from series with innings and 202-run victory
Scorer: Chandan Duorah | Commentator: Debayan Sen (@debayansen)
10.24am India are handed the trophy for this series win, their 11th in a row. This has been great fun to bring you. India dominating a series that looked like a contest for roughly the first three days or so. Lots for South Africa to introspect on. Lots of analysis coming your way on ESPNcricinfo. For the moment, on behalf of Chandan and Shashank, this is Debayan signing off. See you soon!
Virat Kohli: "Amazing. You guys have seen how we're playing. Making things happen on pitches that don't seem to offer too much, is something we're very proud of. Even when we travelled away from home, we wanted to compete. Getting into the right kind of mindset is something these guys have worked really hard to get into. Looking at the way these guys run into bowl, or even in the field, you can see that mindset. To be the best side in the world, you have to be multi-dimensional. Spin was always our strength, batting was never a problem for us. Ishant was the only experienced bowler for us. We said we can play an extra bowler, and as batsmen we said we'll get the job done. We've got runs in every Test match, our catching has been good too. (Goal) As I said, even without much experience, we travelled very well. We believe we can win anywhere. As long as we keep working with honest intent, those things will follow. We've wanted to be the best team in Test cricket, and as long as we compete, things will work out well for us."
Rohit Sharma is the man of the match, and the man of the series!Tells Sanjay Manjrekar: "I'm thankful for the opportunity to the management for that opening slot. I can take a lot of positives about how to counter the new ball. The new ball is always a threat, and to be able to counter that will be a huge positive. I can take my game forward from that. (Discipline at the start in white-ball cricket too) Yeah, it's something that started in 2013 when I started opening in white-ball cricket. I realised you need some discipline at the start of the innings. It's a template to my batting that allows me some success to my batting. I believe that I can do that for the team, and there are lots of aspects that you need to be mindful of when you're opening. The support of the coach and captain helps. (Double hundreds) Test cricket is a different game. Getting that big score will give confidence moving forward. I always believe that once you are in, it is only mistakes that can get you out. We saw how hard it was to counter that new ball, and once you pass that stage, it's all about how you want to pace yourself. I kept telling myself I want to be there, I want to get a big score and take my team to a good position."
Faf du Plessis speaks to Sanjay Manjrekar: "(After 431 in Vizag, what happened) That's the frustating part of the tour. There were some really good signs, but it went the other way. Every Test, we made more mistakes. But we have to give credit to the Indian team. They were ruthless and they were better than us in every department - spin bowling, fast bowling, batting and even the fielding. They are a difficult team to overcome. (On Indian pace) The mindset after 2015 was to prepare ourselves for really spinning tracks, but it's been the opposite. Really sporting tracks - fantastic for fast bowlers and even for batsmen. There's a lot to learn for us. (Pace on Indian pitches vs South Africa) I think it's the skill of the bowlers. They have a skiddy nature and they hit the right spots and the stumps at all times. Those are the things we talked about before we came here, but naturally the length in South Africa has to be a little shorter, and that takes time to adjust. (On positives) It's important that we have some young guys, and they'll experience this in 3-4 years ago. It was important for us to take something back again. We have to learn to compete the next time again. This is the toughest tour on the circuit...11 series wins in a row bears testament to that."
10.07am Standing by now for the presentation. Most of the individual awards seem to be pretty obvious choices, do they not?
Pranay: "Saha's keeping has been exceptional in this series. I doubt Pant or for that matter, Dhoni, could have taken the de Bruyn catch." -- Don't understand the need to put someone down to praise someone else.
Amir Ali Himani: "And Shahbaz Nadeem is on hat-trick, but he will have to wait until his next Test. Remains to be seen when he gets that opportunity."
We have a bunch of flash interviews conducted by Star Sports:
Ravi Shastri: Our motto was to take pitches out of the equation. 'Bhaad me gaya pitch' (to hell with the pitches). Whether it's Johannesburg or Melbourne or Mumbai, we want to take the pitch out of the equation. With the batting line-up we have, if they post big totals and then we have bowlers who can take 20 wickets - we can keep taking those world championship points we're after. Rahane was never going to go anywhere, he had to rediscover his touch which he's done. Rohit - different plane altogether. As an opener, your mindset has to be different. On the first day here, it was touch. Rohit worked his way out of it, but he kept thinking he had to work hard and cash in when the pitch gets better. That's what happened. Normally in India, you have two players who hog the limelight. Here we've had six or seven payers."
Ravi Shastri on Shahbaz Nadeem: "Extremely impressed. Yesterday when he got his first wicket, I was saying 'If Bishan Singh Bedi was watching, he would've said 'cheers young man'. It was a spinner's delight. To watch it from the outside was classical. 420 plus wickets, the guy has put in the yards, about time he gets the distance. Glad he finished off the game. In front of his home crowd. To take four wickets, what was remarkable was the way he started. There was no nerves, first three overs were maidens. Every ball was on the spot. That's because of his experience."
Mohammed Shami: We're always ready. We know how to bowl in Indian conditions now. We're always prepared. The team management gives us the confidence, the fields we want. The crowds are always behind us. The focus is always on consistency. Fitness is important, that's become a revolution in this side. As far as confidence goes, we've all improved over the last four-five years. All of us enjoy each other's success. As a fast bowler, the unit has improved. We've taken a step ahead of the spinners by working hard, the results are in front of all of us.
Mayank Agarwal: I was happy to make my debut in Australia, very happy to make whatever little contributions we can for the team. It's hard work over a period of many years that we're able to produce these results for the team. But kudos to the bowlers, for all the hard work they've put in and bowl the way they have. It's a lot of fun standing at short leg and seeing the opposition batsmen facing the heat, ducking and weaving out of the way or trying to fend. Shami, Ishant, Umesh & Bumrah keep giving back what they get. Not just bounces, they bowl wicket-taking balls. Good balls.
India's spectacular home run extends to seven years now. 11th straight home series win. Their previous series loss, seeming many million miles in the past, in 2012-13 against England.
9.41am Two overs is all it has taken for this Test to finish. India complete a 3-0 sweep and Shahbaz Nadeem, who has had to wait 15 years for a Test debut after more than 100 first-class matches and 400 plus wickets, finish his debut with four wickets and a stunning run out.
India are now miles ahead of the rest in the World Test Championship table. Five games, five wins. Congratulations all around in the Indian camp. This is now India's biggest Test win over South Africa - the margin being an innings and 202 runs. Eclipsing the previous best in Pune.
Shaun Pollock says: "Hopefully emotions won't take over as South Africa look forward to the England series at home."
L Ngidi c & b Nadeem 0 (1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00
TB de Bruyn c †Saha b Nadeem 30 (49b 4x4 1x6) SR: 61.22
Nadeem from the other end. Can he add to his two wickets?
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