"For God's sake, don't blame DRS" - Twitterati trolls India as South Africa humble Virat Kohli and co. in Cape Town

Twitter reactions to India's Cape Town humbling.

Fans on Twitter hailed the Proteas and came down heavily on Virat Kohli's men as South Africa denied India a slice of history by trouncing them by seven wickets in Cape Town. Keegan Petersen (82) and Rassie van der Dussen (41 not out) led the hosts' middle-order charge on Friday to win the three-Test rubber by a 2-1 margin.

Few gave the South Africans a chance after India easily won the first Test. But Dean Elgar's young, transitioning team came back with quality bowling performances and even more responsible batting contributions to clinch the series.

While Indian fans expressed their disappointment following the defeat, South Africans celebrated the rise of the new "Protea fire", with all offering their opinion on what happened and what could have happened. Here are the best of the reactions:

Now that is what u call Protea Fire!!!

Result didn't go our way but that doesn't change the fact that this was a gripping series. Every session was a contest. Congratulations to @OfficialCSA. You've got great foundation to build on. Petersen is 👌🏼And Rabada-Nortje-Ngidi-Jansen attack is going to be 🔥 #SAvIND

Delighted for Kegan Petersen! To come in a series batting at a position like No. 3, to bat like he has. Kudos to him. Batting hasn't been easy but he has found a way and punished every mistake from India's bowlers and fielders. Top, top effort!

Utterly disappointed with the series result. But happy for SA cricket. Hope this series win helps them rebuild and come out of the administrational turmoil.

This was definitely the best South African comeback I've covered and there's been a few. From a big defeat at Centurion to a gritty leveller at the Wanderers and an absorbing effort here, this South African team has breathed life back into the country's game. Finally.

South Africa should be super proud of their efforts. Started the Test series without Anrich Nortje, lost the first Test, lost Quinton De Kock and what a comeback it has been since then. They've won the last two Test and seals the series 2-1.

Congratulations to South Africa on an outstanding Test series win, coming from 1-0 down to successfully chase over 200 twice to win 2-1. A series where new heroes were made 🙌 #SAvIND #sscricket https://t.co/Kidi1epNu7

That's a pretty remarkable series victory for South Africa

#SAvIND

This is a remarkable comeback series win by SA and a wake up call for Team India. Time for a new look batting line up when India play next: too much talent waiting in wings that deserves its chance now. Indian cricket needs new energies:and for god sake, don’t blame DRS. #INDvSA

Incredible turnaround by a young South African team. Lost all tosses. Lost Nortje before a ball bowled. De Kock after the first Test. Chased down 200+ in the fourth innings twice. Tenacity is what makes SAF the cricketing nation it is…keep fighting forever. 🙇‍♂️

Rahane, Pujara and Kohli returning to hotel. https://t.co/4lIWtzShAK

Final frontier remains unconquered. 2018 was a contest between two evenly matched sides and you could take a lot of heart from the performances even in a series defeat. This tour though…winning the first test…superior side…and then losing 1-2. This will hurt. Should hurt.

@BCCI @BCCI It's time to drop both Rahane & Pujara 👏 https://t.co/p2hwHFqvOq

Guess I can delete my last tweet now

What else does January 2022 have in store?

England winning an Ashes Test?

Congratulations SA for winning the Test series v World No.1 India. To come back after losing the 1st Test shows character. Keegan Petersen & Marco Jansen were the finds for SA. Rabada, Ngidi were relentless.
India lost a golden opportunity to conquer the final frontier #SAvIND

At their weakest in years, losing every toss, Nortje before the series and QdK during it, vs the best ever Indian side, what a series win.

Two 4th innings chases against that kind of quality bowling - maybe there is bright sunshine ahead for the rainbow nation. #SAvsIND

The first time India lost a Test series in South Africa 1-2 after winning the 1st Test match of the series was in 2006/07.
Rahul Dravid was then the captain and now the coach in 2021/22.
#INDvsSA #INDvsSAF #INDvSA
#SAvIND #SAvsIND

Magnificent come-from-behind series win for #SA. After losing first Test by a big margin, it seemed a 0-3 rout was on the cards, but the Proteas turned things around with discipline, diligence, self-belief, undaunted by India’s no 1 ranking or the star status of its many players

Pace bowlers were terrific no doubt, but here again it must be said that Bumrah, Shami, Thakur, Siraj upstaged by Rabada, Jansen, Ngidi, Olivier. Add to this SA’s fantastic fielding, and the home team was ahead in all departments of the game

What an extraordinary comeback triumph by the Proteas. I was skeptical of South Africa’s batting grit going in but Petersen, Elgar and Bavuma were magnificently patient and poised. A grinding, tough-as-nails win for the ages. #SAvIND

@BCCI Aur khilao experience Purane ko ane wale series main. Aap logo toh experience middle order hi chahiye.🤣🤣🤣

@BCCI Time to put the attitude to the side and focus on team selection and batting. This is embarrassing

@BCCI Missing Ravi shastri

@BCCI Thank you @ajinkyarahane88 , @cheteshwar1 🙏

@BCCI If Nortje was there, it would have been a white wash :(

@BCCI Our apparent "best side ever" lost to this weak SA side man we are in a mess

@BCCI https://t.co/0xai98Odcs

This result is as disappointing for Indian cricket as the 4-1 defeat in England in 2018. Outbatted by a vastly less experienced team but in all fairness Rabada, Ngidi, Jansen and Olivier outbowled India too.

Missed Current World No.1 Test Opener Rohit Sharma?🤔
#SAvIND https://t.co/8cn9qHJ5VG

India slips to No.5 on World Test Championship Points Table. https://t.co/Cq9nUeak0b

Outstanding by @OfficialCSA they were 1 down in the series. This was India’s best chance to win in South Africa as SA didn’t have that kind of team but they showed when u stuck together as a teams than u can achieve big things without any big names .. congratulations #INDvSA

"Batting is certainly something to be looked at" - Virat Kohli on India's future

Skipper Virat Kohli, while speaking at the post-match presentation, admitted his team's issues with capitalizing on momentum and specific problems with the batting. He believes such errors have cost them to lose matches in just "30-45 minutes" of bad performance.

Kohli said:

"One of the challenges that we have faced touring abroad is to capitalise on momentum when it is on our side. Whenever we have done that, we've won games. But on other hand, when we haven't done so, we have lost matches due to 30-45 minutes of cricket where we have batted badly."

He added:

"The opposition bowlers bowled well this series but generally, we haven't been consistent. We have had too many batting collapses. Of course, it (batting) has been the reason, no doubt about that. Their bowlers were just better in terms of their execution and applying pressure. Batting is certainly something to be looked at. No excuses there."

India have a chance to redeem themselves in the three-match ODI series, which will begin on January 19.