India ended the three-match Test series against South Africa on a high with a thrilling 63-run victory at Wanderers.
After the hosts had captured the series with wins in the opening two Tests, Virat Kohli’s men ensured that they averted what would have been a first-ever whitewash on South African shores.
The battle between the No.1 and No.2 ranked sides in the world produced some exhilarating Test cricket to savour over the course of the three matches. In the end, the tourists maintained their top dog status in the five-day format while Faf du Plessis‘ men took the bragging rights as the attention now shifts to the limited-overs matches.
We rate the two teams after three hard fought Tests which left us wanting more.
SOUTH AFRICA REPORT CARD
DEAN ELGAR: 7/10
The gritty opener showed what his game is all about after carrying the bat in the final innings at Wanderers. His unbeaten 86 on a hostile pitch was Test cricket at its best and it is a shame he ended up on the losing side after that valiant effort. He got decent starts in the other two Tests as well.
AIDEN MARKRAM: 6/10
The young South African opener continues to show a lot of promise. His 94 in the first innings at Centurion being proof that the 23-year-old has all the tools to be South Africa’s opener for the next decade or so. He failed miserably at the Wanderers but he was not the only batsman to do so.
HASHIM AMLA: 8/10
His series started on a bad note with three poor innings on the trot. However, he showed us why class is permanent with three masterly innings to finish off. The 82, 52 and 61 in difficult circumstances show what Amla is all about and he comes out of the series as South Africa’s best batsman.
Amla displayed his class with the bat on testing pitches.
FAF DU PLESSIS: 7/10
The Proteas skipper did well in Cape Town and Centurion and was a big factor in South Africa’s victories. His only gripe will be with his performance in the final Test where he failed in both innings. It was a solid series otherwise for Du Plessis.
AB DE VILLIERS: 7/10
The swashbuckling batsman took the game away from India in the first two Tests with some brilliant counter-attacking innings. Like his skipper, he failed to get going in the final Test to lose some marks. His Test credentials, however, remain unscathed.
QUINTON DE KOCK: 4/10
A series which started with much promise for the South African wicket-keeper batsman quickly turned into a nightmare. Bar the first innings at Cape Town, the southpaw was dismal with the bat throughout the series and looks woefully out of knick.
VERNON PHILANDER: 7/10
The seamer is always a handful in South African conditions and his inspired spell led the hosts to victory in the first Test. He did not have the impact he would have liked at Centurion though and perhaps could have done better in the final Test. Still a class act.
KESHAV MAHARAJ: 5/10
The young spinner picked up just the one wicket in the two Tests he played. He did not get much help from the pitches but was his usual accurate self. This was a series which belonged to the pacers and no more was that fact underlined than in the final match where he was left out in favour of an all-pace attack.
KAGISO RABADA: 8/10
The young pacer finished with a 15-wicket haul in the series as he showed why he is the No.1 ranked Test bowler in the world. He bowled with venom throughout the three Tests and did not give any respite to India’s batsmen with his pace and movement.
Rabada was the pick of the South African pacers.
MORNE MORKEL: 7/10
The tall pacer kept up his end of the bargain with a 13-wicket haul in the series. His extra bounce created a lot of difficulties for the Indians. Constantly kept the batsmen on their toes with his four wickets in the first innings at Centurion being his highlight of the series.
DALE STEYN: 6/10
The South African pace spearhead was looking good on his return to competitive cricket after more than a year out due to a shoulder injury. Unfortunately, his long-anticipated return was cruelly cut short in the first Test itself after he suffered another injury. He looked back to his usual best in the brief amount that he bowled.
LUNGI NGIDI: 7/10
The 21-year-old pacer turned in a man-of-the-match performance on his Test debut at Centurion. His six-wicket burst in the second innings led South Africa to victory and the youngster’s emergence will be one of the biggest positives for the hosts.
ANDILE PHEHLUKWAYO: 6/10
The all-rounder was picked for the final Test ahead of Maharaj. He picked up two wickets in the first innings but went wicketless in the second as du Plessis stuck with his big guns. He did not do too much with the bat in hand though.
INDIA REPORT CARD
SHIKHAR DHAWAN: 4/10
The left-hander was preferred as Murali Vijay’s opening partner in the first Test but his weakness against the short-ball was out in the open once again as he perished both times to the bouncer. He was subsequently dropped in favour of KL Rahul for the remainder of the series.
MURALI VIJAY: 5/10
The opening mainstay for India throughout, Vijay only showed flashes of his brilliance at the top. His saving grace in the series came in his final innings where he stuck it out through testing times for a well made 25. Failed to live up to expectations ultimately.
KL RAHUL: 4/10
There was some hue and cry when Rahul was not selected in the opening Test but his poor performances in Centurion and Johannesburg did him no favours. His dismissal while playing at a delivery he didn’t need to in his final innings summed up his disappointing series.
CHETESHWAR PUJARA: 6/10
It was largely a series to forget for the number three batsman after his brilliant 2017. He failed to deliver the goods when really needed in the first two Tests. However, his fighting 50 in the first innings at the Wanderers was worth its weight in gold in the context of the match.
VIRAT KOHLI: 8/10
The Indian skipper’s magnificent 153 in the second Test was one of the most important knocks he has played in his Test career although it came in a losing cause. However, his 54 and 41 in the final Test were vitally crucial to India’s victory. He was simply India’s best batsman in the series though questions remain over his squad selection.
Kohli led from the front with bat in hand for India.
ROHIT SHARMA: 5/10
Rohit was preferred ahead of Rahane for the first two Tests but he failed to live up to the confidence bestowed on him by Kohli. Looked all at sea against South Africa’s pace attack and bar a 47-run knock in the second innings at Centurion when the game was already lost, he failed to do anything of note in the series.
AJINKYA RAHANE: 6/10
Rahane’s exclusion from the side in the first two Tests was highly questionable. When he did get the chance finally in Johannesburg, he proved why he is such a valuable and essential asset for India overseas. His sublime 48 in the second innings turned the tide in India’s favour leading everyone to question why he wasn’t picked from the very start.
HARDIK PANDYA: 6/10
It was a mixed bag for the emerging all-rounder who started off the series with a bang. His counter-attacking 93 in the first Test was great to watch while everyone else around him stumbled. However, his contributions fizzled out as the series wore on and he was largely ineffective in the final two Tests.
WRIDDHIMAN SAHA: 5/10
The wicket-keeper disappointed with the bat on both occasions at Cape Town. He was generally solid behind the stumps but India needed him to do more with the bat. He did not play the final two Tests due to an injury.
PARTHIV PATEL: 4/10
The wicket-keeper made a return to the Test side and was given a chance in the final two Tests after Saha’s injury. He dropped some crucial catches behind the stumps and failed to really kick-on with the bat in hand.
BHUVNESHWAR KUMAR: 9/10
One of the biggest positives India can take from the series is the emergence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar as an all-round talent. He was excellent with the ball in hand, picking up 10 wickets in the two Tests he played. What was more encouraging though was his performance with the bat. His 30 and 33 in the final Test were hugely important in setting up the win for the tourists.
MOHAMMED SHAMI: 8/10
The Indian pace spearhead started the series in an unconvincing manner as he looked off-rhythm. He gradually grew into his role as the series wore on and finished with 15 wickets ultimately. His five-wicket burst in the final innings handed India the win after Amla and Elgar had taken the hosts to the brink of an unlikely victory.
Shami’s five-wicket haul in the final innings ended South Africa’s fightback.
JASPRIT BUMRAH: 7/10
The youngster acquitted himself well in his maiden Test series for India with a 14-wicket haul. He bowled some really penetrative spells throughout the series including his five-wicket haul in the first innings at the Wanderers. He might have been a little wayward to begin with but by the end of the series, he had confirmed his Test credentials and is one to watch out for in the future.
ISHANT SHARMA: 7/10
It was a typical workhorse type of performance from India’s senior-most pacer. Ishant might not have taken the headlines with his wickets but he did exactly what Kohli would have wanted from him. His tireless and relentless efforts at one end allowed India’s other pacers to thrive at the other end. He still picked up eight wickets in two Tests and showed how vital he is to India’s pace unit in overseas battles.
RAVICHANDRAN ASHWIN: 7/10
The Indian spinner did admirably well on pitches which could be described as a paradise for the quicks. He was preferred ahead of Ravindra Jadeja as India’s sole spinner in the opening two Tests and picked up seven wickets. His performance only have to compared to Maharaj’s to show the impact he had on pitches with not much help for the spinners.
