India vs South Africa 2019: Visitors' nightmarish tour concludes with miserable Ranchi defeat
12 balls were all it took on Day 4 of the Ranchi Test for India to finish off proceedings and complete an emphatic 3-0 whitewash of South Africa.
South Africa were thoroughly outplayed by the hosts on all fronts and will return home with bitter memories and nagging questions. While their bowling was lackluster, their batsmen's failure to shoulder responsibility is inarguably their biggest concern.
Jharkhand born left-arm tweaker Shahbaz Nadeem struck off consecutive deliveries to help secure India's biggest Test victory over South Africa.
Drafted in as a concussion substitute for opener Dean Elgar, Theunis de Bruyn feathered one to Wriddhiman Saha while shaping to execute a backfoot punch. Lungi Ngidi perished off the subsequent delivery in bizarre fashion, hammering a wild slog straight into non-striker Anrich Nortje's wrist, with Nadeem pouching the rebound.
The fact that de Bruyn's 30 was the highest individual score in the South African innings is a testament to how the Proteas struggled to deal with the Indian bowling.
As a reward for a whirlwind double century in the first innings, Rohit Sharma was named the Player of the Match. Concluding the three-match Test series with a staggering 529 runs to his name, Rohit was also deservedly named the Player of the Series.
Known for his flamboyant strokeplay and lazy elegance, Rohit displayed wonderful maturity to curb his natural instincts and embark on a rescue operation in the first innings with India reeling at 39-3.
Although it was an excellent batting performance that set the foundation for India's illustrious triumph, the dynamic bowling display was just as important. The pace battery, in particular, operated magnificently in tandem, bagging 20 wickets in total.
The resurgence of Umesh Yadav is certainly one of the biggest positives for the hosts. Making amends for his previous failures, the Nagpur-born quick swung the cherry while constantly hovering around the fourth stump line.
India are now placed at the pinnacle of the World Test Championship points table, having collected 240 points in five Tests, while all of the other teams have only managed 232 points in 19 Tests combined.
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