Matches (21)
IPL (2)
ACC Premier Cup (3)
County DIV1 (5)
County DIV2 (4)
Women's QUAD (2)
WI 4-Day (4)
Pakistan vs New Zealand (1)

South Africa vs India, 3rd Test at Johannesburg, SA v Ind 2018, Jan 24 2018 - Ball by Ball Commentary

RESULT
3rd Test, Johannesburg, January 24 - 27, 2018, South Africa v India 2018
187 & 247
(T:241) 194 & 177

India won by 63 runs

Player Of The Match
30, 3/44, 33 & 1/39
bhuvneshwar-kumar
Player Of The Series
94 runs • 15 wkts
vernon-philander
New
SA 2nd Innings
Full commentary

That's all we have for you. Here's Sid Monga's report for those who want to bask in a great day of Indian cricket. Ranking up there with Leeds 2002 or Perth 2008 or Lords 2014 (those are the ones I can remember) Equally, if not more important to note is the fact that South Africa have won the series, looking a class apart in Cape Town, and adapting to a weird wicket well in Centurion. The 13 723 people who came to the Wanderers today will certainly be happy about that. Thanks for you lot here, making ball-by-ball ever so much fun. But now we have to part ways. Remember me though. This is Al Muthu craving attention.

Faf du Plessis comes up, to collect the awards for winning the series. "I thikn India outplayed us in this Test. We didn't take our chances. We were just sloppy. From a bowling poiint of view, we weren't consistent. Our fielding was pretty average. And with the bat, it was tough conditions. We were surprised how well the pitch played this morning, Hashim and Dean great partnership. But the history of this wicket tells you the ball does a bit more late in the day.

We can only blame ourselves. Extremely happy to win the series. But if you told me 2-1 before this series, I would've bitten the hand off. India have played great wicket, but we were deserved winnings. Lot of one-day cricket against a very strong Indian team, and then Australia, and we will take confidence into there

Vernon Philander is Man of the Series, playing his 50th Test. "Sorry we couldn't win this one, but happy with my performances. Able to stand up with the bat in crucial situations. We'd have loved to pull this one off too, was my 50th Test, but India played better. Will give the body a break for a week, and then start preparing for the Australia Tests

.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is Man of the Match for his all-round performance"Very happy. Whenever I get the chance, I try to do well and it came good at the right moment. I always enjoy batting, when it comes to Tests. It wasn't an easy wicket but I wanted to stay there as long as possible and luckily runs came too. It was an amazing track to bowl on, there were a few awkward balls, but overall it was good."

5.25 pm Here's Virat Kohli: "Lovely. We required some character playing on a pitch that was very difficult. I think our guys showed great guts throug hthe four days. We took the challenge. Batting first wasn't a call that went down well with some people, but we knew it was the right call. We knew we were close in the first two games. This was perfect. Elgar and Amla played really well, although it was not easy. You expect that from South Africa. But one thing I know is that when wickets go down, in pressure situations, its very difficult to come back. And the other good thing was we didn't leak runs. The bowlers are a big positive. Sixty wickets in a series is rare, and if the batsmen step up, they understand they need to and they did in this game and the win feels really great. Need bowlers confident to win Tests and as batsmen, we need to think about our game, prepare better and I'm sure we can win more often away from home.

WATCH - Shami completes five-for to wrap up India's win (Available in the Indian subcontinent).

5.15 pm An angry Kohli takes a bow, a signal of pure irony. He has played two spectacular innings on a pitch that held a special grudge for the batsmen. He was unhappy in Centurion, at his team-mates, at match-officials, at basically everything because the series was gone. But India arrived in Johannesburg. They got their selections right. They made the right call at the toss, and at the time many doubted it. Why would a team stack themselves with five bowlers and bat on a green pitch? Well this is why? India knew it would become terrible for batting in the last innings. And it did. South Africa were 124 for 1 and looked favourites to win until as late as 20 minutes before tea. Then they end up 177 all out. This will go down as one of India's most famous victories. The pitch was against them. They faced down a scary bowling attack. Bested the pitch. And found a way to prevent a whitewash.

But Poor Dean Elgar. He carries his bat for his troubles, but that would be little consolation. It was a high-quality innings, full of courage and unreal application. It's a shame very few of his team-mates could support him.

Cricket's done, but there's plenty of football to come today, with Real Madrid taking on Valencia, PSG hosting Montpellier and Liverpool facing West Brom in the FA Cup. You can watch all those games here.

Ravish: "WE WANT ONE MORE TEST! "

Rudra Varma: "That is undoubtedly India's one of the best ever test wins home or away. Absolute grit, determination and courage shown by the batsmen. Given the treacherous pitch, both India and SA batsmen showed tremendous courage. Riveting !!! With the right (and sensible) team selection, India might have even won the series. Remember, first 2 tests were competed evenly for most of the time. what a wonderful series. Test cricket at its best "

Ebin: "The best test match ive ever seen . Even the Ashes wasnt this good. Outstanding cricket .Kudos to both teams."

Suramya: "Barring Three bad periods of play and bizarre selection calls before this test.. this could have been an entirely different scoreline.. also, SA and elgar should be very proud of their display"

Rushi: "I would go with Kohli as the MoM. It was a tough pitch to bat on and that was the difference. Amla was good too, but Kohli may edge out"

73.3
W
Shami to Ngidi, OUT

another appeal for caught behind and the wicketkeeper is confident enough to signal the DRS himself. Back of a length delivery that Ngidi thrusts his hands at.... and there's a noise as the ball passes the bat... Ultra-Edge confirms it... Shami has five! India win!

Lungi Ngidi c sub (†KD Karthik) b Mohammed Shami 4 (6b 1x4 0x6 19m) SR: 66.66
73.2
Shami to Ngidi, no run

half an appeal for lbw but umpire Gould is unmoved and Kohli flashes a smirk, as if he knows they were pushing it with the shout. Right, now to the ball, back of a length, outside off, gets a little waft from the No. 11

73.1
Shami to Ngidi, no run

short ball, outside off, lets it go

Shami v Ngidi. Two slips, gully close in, short leg as well

end of over 7310 runs
SA: 177/9CRR: 2.42 
Dean Elgar86 (240b 9x4 1x6)
Lungi Ngidi4 (3b 1x4)
Bhuvneshwar Kumar 18-4-39-1
Mohammed Shami 12-2-28-4

Amit: "How ironical is it. The man who was stuck yesterday after which play was stopped, is still standing unconquered. It's like pitch saying that I am not as bad as you have made me with words. Remember the era without helmets, and WI fast bowlers. And before that, uncovered pitches. It seems, Rahane judgement of the pitch was right. "

72.6
6
Bhuvneshwar to Elgar, SIX runs

heaves a length ball into the stands at deep square leg. There's a man fighting out there. Elgar is not lying down just because it's nine down. He's 14 away from a century! But, Shami now has six balls at the No. 11.

72.5
Bhuvneshwar to Elgar, no run

good length ball outside off, blocks towards gully

Field comes up. Look out for suicidal running

WATCH - Pujara laps up a Rabada edge (Available in the Indian subcontinent).

72.4
4
Bhuvneshwar to Elgar, FOUR runs

sneaks the shortish delivery through the scattered slip cordon. He waits ages and ages to try and smuggle this through for a few quick runs

72.3
Bhuvneshwar to Elgar, no run

beaten as a back of a length ball leaps past the outside edge after straightening. Vicious. Classy. Unplayable

72.2
Bhuvneshwar to Elgar, no run

chops a back of a length delivery out to deep point and refuses the single. The call from behind the stumps is "get him on strike". Him presumably being Ngidi

72.1
Bhuvneshwar to Elgar, no run

shortish and outside off. Elgar glides it to gully

end of over 725 runs
SA: 167/9CRR: 2.31 
Lungi Ngidi4 (3b 1x4)
Dean Elgar76 (234b 8x4)
Mohammed Shami 12-2-28-4
Bhuvneshwar Kumar 17-4-29-1

WATCH - Shami gets Morkel with a yorker (Available in the Indian subcontinent).

71.6
4
Shami to Ngidi, FOUR runs

smokes it down the ground to bring life back to the Wanderers faithful. It's full, it's straight, it's looking for the stumps but Ngidi spins it around 180 degrees

71.5
1
Shami to Elgar, 1 run

easy runout chance! Pandya races in, he gets two hands to the ball, then has to decide whether he wants to run through to the stumps or throw it at them, he chooses the latter, but doesn't hit target. Ngidi is safe. And Elgar, for choosing to run, after digging out a yorker can breathe a sigh

71.4
Shami to Elgar, no run

blocks a fullish delivery on off stump

71.3
Shami to Elgar, no run

bangs it into the middle of the pitch, Elgar avoids it

71.2
Shami to Elgar, no run

good length ball outside off, Elgar is squared up as he meets it, the away movement off the pitch causing problems. There's edge, but it doesn't carry to the keeper

71.1
Shami to Elgar, no run

full on off stump, Elgar turns it to the left of long-on.

end of over 711 run
SA: 162/9CRR: 2.28 
Lungi Ngidi0 (2b)
Dean Elgar75 (229b 8x4)
Bhuvneshwar Kumar 17-4-29-1
Mohammed Shami 11-2-23-4
70.6
Bhuvneshwar to Ngidi, no run

good length on off stump, Ngidi drives to mid-off

70.5
1
Bhuvneshwar to Elgar, 1 run

run-out chance! Elgar pushes to mid-on and risks beating Ishant for speed. And he almost didn't. An underarm throw from the big fast bowler only misses by whiskers

JIgnesh: "This will be a very trick MoM award - Kohli for his two great innings? Bhuvi for his good all round performance that kept the match alive for India? Bumrah for 7 wickets?" --- Amla should figure in those calculations too

70.4
Bhuvneshwar to Elgar, no run

cuts him in half and even a man who has faced over 200 deliveries on this pitch can't sit back lest this happens: back of a length, bites into the pitch, curls back viciously, and beats him between bat and gut

70.3
Bhuvneshwar to Elgar, no run

yorker, which he sees out

Harsha: "9 duck outs of 39 wickets! "

70.2
Bhuvneshwar to Elgar, no run

defends a shortish delivery a shade outside off

70.1
Bhuvneshwar to Elgar, no run

short of a length and outside off, no shot

AskESPNcricinfo Logo
Instant answers to T20 questions
South Africa Innings
<1 / 3>