New Delhi, Jan 27: India once again tamed South Africa in the ‘Bullring’, the moniker for the Wanderer Stadium in Johannesburg as the tourists won the third and final match of the series by 63 runs on the fourth day of the match on Saturday. The win stopped South Africa from sweeping the three-match series too.
The fourth day of the Test started with a slight advantage to the hosts as Dean Elgar and Hashim Amla looked comfortable against the Indian pace attack. The duo compiled a partnership of 119, although it took four hours and 50.4 overs of hard work on a difficult pitch. It was only the third century partnership of the series.
But India hit back with the wickets of Amla and AB de Villiers in quick succession shortly before tea. Amla fell with the total on 124 when he clipped Ishant Sharma firmly towards midwicket and Hardik Pandya dived to his right to hold a good catch. Amla had faced 140 balls in making his second half-century of the match.
De Villiers started confidently with a boundary off Sharma but was out for six when he was squared up by a lifting delivery from Jasprit Bumrah which flew off the shoulder of his bat to Ajinkya Rahane at gully.
The same two bowlers struck again immediately after tea. South African captain Faf du Plessis was bowled by a ball from Sharma which cut back and kept low and the out-of-form Quinton de Kock was trapped leg before wicket first ball by Bumrah.
Elgar, having batted with unflappable concentration for more than five hours, tried to play some shots and keep the strike after being joined by last man Lungi Ngidi. He hit a six off Kumar before Ngidi was caught behind off Shami.
Conditions remained difficult for batting but there were none of the extreme bounces and deviations that prompted the umpires to halt play shortly before the scheduled close on Friday.
But once the Elgar-Amla partnership was broken, the other batsmen were unable to play with any confidence, signaling an Indian win was on the cards.