Amla, Du Plessis fight for South Africa in the 3rd Test

India won the first Test in Mohali, in three days, and the second Test in Bengaluru saw no result as only about a day’s play was possible due to rain.

While he would have been disappointed to only get a solitary wicket in the first innings, Amit Mishra picked up the crucial wickets of Hashim Amla and Francois du Plessis in the second innings, just as they were looking set to guide the Proteas to an unlikely victory.

On a deteriorating pitch the pair stood firm until falling to leg-spinner Amit Mishra in quick succession before tea.

Morkel appeared embarrassed as he left the ground with his team shot out for 185 in the fourth innings even as India’s champion off-break bowler completed a dozen wickets in the match to take his tally to a whopping 24 from five innings of the series.

After leading India to a comprehensive series win against the number one ranked Test side in the world, skipper Virat Kohli lauded spinners for a brilliant effort on Friday.

South Africa lost a series away from home for the first time in nine years.

Mishra, brought into the attack late in the pre-lunch session, got rid of the stubborn Duminy who was let off by Indian skipper Virat Kohli and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, both off Ashwin’s bowling earlier.

“When I first started, South Africa as a team nearly looked very similar to what it is at the moment”, he said. I suppose one kind of consolation would be that the conditions we’ve had to play in were probably nothing like we’ve had when we’ve played away from home, and that is a type of challenge we’ve never experienced before. When I first began, the South African group appeared similar to what it’s in the meanwhile.

Amla, who had a great record in earlier visits to the country, made the joint highest score of their second innings, 39, along with another out-of-form batsman Faf du Plessis. “In my Test career, without a doubt it was the toughest surface I had I ever played”.

“The pitch was a hard factor”.

Dangerman AB de Villiers failed to score while Faf du Plessis was bowled for 10 when the batsman attempted an ugly heave and missed the line of the ball.

“He stepped up in a big way for us, he’s one of the reasons we’ve been able to win back-to-back series, he’s a consistent performer and it’s a pleasure to have someone like Ashwin in the side”.

“Whether we win or lose, we have to fight honourably”.

Amla and du Plessis, who came together in the morning session after the fall of the fourth wicket at 58, defended for 46.2 overs in the fifth-wicket partnership.

Amla, whose highest score in the series is 43, negotiated 93 deliveries to return unbeaten on 28.

Ishant, coming on for a second spell, got du Plessis (5 out of 79 for 4) to edge between the ‘keeper and slip fielder and then Amla (23 out of 83 for 4) drove at Mishra expansively and Rahane could not pouch the low catch in slips.