Debutant spinner Shahbaz Nadeem claimed the final two South African wickets in successive deliveries as India thrashed South Africa by an innings and 220 runs on Tuesday to complete a 3-0 series sweep and consolidate their lead in the World Test Championship race. India, who blanked West Indies 2-0 in their first series under the new World Test Championship, top the table with 240 points after five wins in a row.
Speaking at the end of the match, Indian captain Virat Kohli reiterated the importance of being multi-dimensional and being ready for all challenges at all times and this is what this side has managed to do.
“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,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation.
This series was dominated by the Indian pacers and even on rather unresponsive pitches, they made things happen and this was highlighted by the skipper.
“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,” the captain further added.
Rohit Sharma, who was superb in his new role as a Test opener, bagged the man of the match as well as the man of the series award for peeling off 529 runs from four innings.
