India vs South Africa 2018: 5 takeaways for India from the ODI series
Yet another lacklustre South African performance saw the Indians clinch their maiden ODI series victory in the Rainbow Nation. They went on to hammer the Proteas 5-1, showcasing the clear gulf in class between the two sides. For a team that had never won an ODI series in South Africa, this was quite a resounding performance, albeit against a weak side.
There were quite a few things that we learned about this Indian ODI side in the series, and here are a few of them.
#5 It's a long way back now for Ashwin and Jadeja
Chahal and Kuldeep had justified their selection ahead of their experienced counterparts with their performances in the sub-continent. However, their true test was to come when the team travelled overseas and the South African conditions were expected to pose them a stern test.
The wrist-spinners though were unfazed by the South African batting line-up and the conditions. The spin twins were literally unplayable at times and had the batsmen dancing to their tunes.
In tandem, they picked up 33 wickets, the most in a bilateral series. Only a monumental performance from skipper Kohli denied them a well-deserved Man of the Series award.
What this performance has also done is it has ensured that Ashwin and Jadeja will not be in the scheme of things anymore as far as limited overs cricket is concerned, unless the leggies suffer injuries or a serious loss of form.