South Africa left spinning as India win Test series in Nagpur

This is also third lowest Test total in India. “The condition we have played in was never like I had played travelling away from home. We haven’t experienced this type of challenge before”, he said. This is what Test cricket is, we need patience with the ball and believing a chance will come. The last bowler to do this was Anil Kumble, who took six hauls in 2004.

“When I first came to India in 2008 and then in 2010 I was facing (spinners) Anil Kumble and Harbhajan (Singh)”. Opener Shikhar Dhawan (39), one-down Cheteshwar Pujara (31) and no. 6 Rohit Sharma (23) were the only batsmen in the Indian second innings to get into the 20s as leg-spinner Tahir picked up five wickets and speedster Morne Morkel got three.

Giving a hint to future prospects, especially considering the batting worries, Kohli elaborated that the current team is in a learning phase and will continue to work to find the best combination.

“But to play in conditions like this (is difficult)”. Spinners have had an upper hand in the series.

The off-spinner claimed seven second innings wickets while leg-spinner Amit Mishra grabbed the remaining three as South Africa, chasing 310 to stay alive in the contest, folded for 185. The partnership revived memories of Adelaide and Colombo in its determination but was nowhere near as comfortable. We had some really great players in Jacques (Kallis) and Graeme (Smith) who were probably at their prime at that stage, with some young guns who were coming into the team.

Amla felt 200 would have been a gettable score in the last innings.

I think he wanted to do it (play the night-watchman’s role), it’s not cruel, he backs himself as a batter.

“South Africa hadn’t lost in nine years and it is very hard to maintain that sort of record”. It’s a kind of problem we’ve got by no means skilled earlier than.

The South Africa captain, though, may have himself to blame for allowing the hosts get away. More resolute in defence even when balls were keeping low, spinning past him or hitting him on the thigh, Amla continued to plod on.

“Even on a turning wicket, if you dig in, you can score runs”. “That’s the type of bowler he is. They have bowled outstandingly well and we have not batted as well as we can”. His 7/66 in the second innings was a career-best effort. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja was also going strong, although he is yet to claim a wicket in the second innings. So in hindsight, I don’t have any regrets, because at the time I had a clear idea of what I needed from the team. South Africa have hardly looked comfortable against spin throughout this series, yes. “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 and speaking about the pitch in India”.