Amla and Du Plessis delay India’s series win

South Africa need a win to level the four-match series after losing the first Test in Mohali by 108 runs. The fourth and final Test will be played in New Delhi from December 3.

Though Hashim Amla (39 runs from 167 balls) and Faf du Plessis (39 from 152 balls) provided resistance with a dogged partnership of 72 from 46.2 overs, once the pair were dismissed the Proteas were always heading for defeat.

Apart from Ashwin, Amit Mishra picked up 3 wickets as spinners kept a firm grip on the match.

India bowled out South Africa for 79 and 185 to win by 124 runs on the third day of the third test. India won the series 2-0 with a match to spare.

Comparing Ashwin with his fellow spinners, Manjrekar said the former had the edge because of flight and guile in his bowling. We’ve been positive throughout and on top in the series, and the result to seal the series in Nagpur feels very good. Considering the way he has owned South Africa’s batsmen all series, it is foreseeable that Ashwin goes well past that mark.

“I don’t feel that way, we have never complained when we had challenging conditions and won’t complain in the future either”.

“These small contributions and team winning are more important rather than having an average of 50 and above and bowlers not being able to take wickets”. In both innings, he showed the Proteas batsmen how to tackle the turning pitch, as he used the depth of the crease perfectly. Sometimes you have conditions where it is going to be bowler-friendly, chances can be created.

“Amla and Du Plessis proved that technique and determination were all that were required to survive in Nagpur”. I think if you look at the Indian team, although they are on the winning side, it’s been tough for their batters as well.

“There hasn’t been a hundred in the series yet”, Amla said to the media at the post-match press conference. “We are not playing for records, we are not playing for numbers or averages”, Kohli said after India’s series win.

“We tried to dig deep as long as we can”.

The tourists will start the third day requiring 278 runs more on a dicey pitch that has already claimed 32 wickets over the first two days – 20 of them on Thursday itself.

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.

As Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli watches, South African cricket team captain Hashim Amla d …