Who said What: India clinch Test series win as South Africa succumb to spin again
Indian spinners spun their web again in Nagpur, forcing South Africa to capitulate in the 3rd Test of the 4-match series. The 124-run victory has given India a 2-0 lead, a welcome break after the disappointments in the T20 and ODI series.
Not having lost an away series since 2006, the visitors’ inability at tackling spin has condemned their unbeaten streak to be over, with nothing to play for but pride in the 4th Test in Delhi.
A look at what has been said in the immediate aftermath of the Nagpur Test:
SA captain Hashim Amla: "It's disappointing to lose. It was a tough match, we tried our best. Tried to dig deep as long as we can. The pitch was a difficult factor."
India captain Virat Kohli: "It's very pleasing to win the series after having lost the ODIs and the T20Is. South Africa are a tough side to beat. Ashwin is a world-class spinner, probably the best in the world right now. He's one of the main reasons why we were able to win back-to-back series.
“Mishra showed great character when it was tough going and he got two in two overs and I think that was the turning point today for us. It's a challenging wicket. The batsmen from our side applied better in Mohali. We just need apply ourselves in our batting. Sometimes it is going to be bowler-friendly, batsmen might not get many runs.
“Ishant bowled with a big heart today. Delhi would be an opportunity for us to be more consistent as a team.”
Man of the Match Ravi Ashwin(who took 12 out of the 20 South Africa wickets): “Faf and Amla fought hard, so we had to do something special. There were two teams out there, one was trying to fight and the other was trying to win. A batsman goes out to make a 100 and a bowler go out to get a fifer, that's how I do it.
“I thought Mishra bowled a wonderful spell after lunch. We prised out the wickets of Amla and Faf. Mishra got us right back into the game with those two wickets and it was always uphill for them from there on. Any batsman who comes out there and trusts his defence will pose a challenge for a spinner."
Murali Vijay(whose 40 was the highest score in the match): “Definitely didn’t expect it (40 being the highest score). The wicket was better on the first day. All credit to the bowlers. Really happy for Ashwin (Tamil Nadu teammate). Hopefully he can keep up his fitness and do well for a lot of years.