Ravichandran Ashwin rips through South Africa

The last time they lost two Tests away from home was in Sri Lanka nine years ago. “In my Test career, without a doubt it was the toughest surface I had I ever played”. They were bowled out for 82 in Chandigarh in 1990.

Duminy, who hit two sixes off Jadeja, was ninth out when he was trapped leg-before by leg-spinner Amit Mishra, who was required to bowl just three overs in the entire innings.

Amla felt 200 would have been a gettable score in the last innings. So I don’t think we were as positive (as India).

South Africa was 32-2 in its second innings chasing 310 for victory after India’s second innings folded in the interim for 173 in under two sessions. “We could have got India out for 140 and that probably would have changed the complexion of the game”, he said.

Faf du Plessis looked promising in his short stay at the wicket before he was bowled by Jadeja when he tried to hit the ball over mid-on, but played the wrong line.

For someone who has shown a strong appetite to score against India, Amla has had a quiet series. I think chasing 200 would have been more apt. “Sealing the series in Nagpur feels very good”.

Ravichandran Ashwin ripped through a bamboozled South Africa to inflict the Proteas’ first overseas series defeat in nine years in Nagpur.

“It is very disappointing”, Amla conceded.

“We are not playing for record, we are not playing for numbers or averages”. When I first began, the South African group appeared similar to what it’s in the meanwhile. We scored actually slowly. At the moment our team is similar to that, we’re breeding a few younger guys coming in.

“But to play in conditions like this (is difficult)”. We haven’t experienced this type of challenge before. From the start, the series has been dominated by the ball and India captain Virat Kohli isn’t complaining.

Murali Vijay’s innings of 40 in the first innings was thus the highest in the match.

“If you’re winning the series, it is easy to criticise the pitch, but when you’re behind in the series, it is hard to criticise the pitch. There are a lot of people writing a lot of things about the pitch, “it should not be like this” or “it is turning too much”…people sitting somewhere else (in the world) are speaking about the pitch in India”. “Today, when the (Amla-Du Plesis) partnership was going, he actually held the ball and told me that “I will get a wicket” and in about three overs he got Hashim out”. “That’s just what it was”.

It was the first time in the series that a side had had the opportunity to take a second new ball with the Proteas second innings lasting nearly 90 overs.