India vs South Africa, 3rd Test at Ranchi, WTC, Oct 19 2019 - Ball by Ball Commentary

10.24am India are handed the trophy for this series win, their 11th in a row. This has been great fun to bring you. India dominating a series that looked like a contest for roughly the first three days or so. Lots for South Africa to introspect on. Lots of analysis coming your way on ESPNcricinfo. For the moment, on behalf of Chandan and Shashank, this is Debayan signing off. See you soon!

Virat Kohli: "Amazing. You guys have seen how we're playing. Making things happen on pitches that don't seem to offer too much, is something we're very proud of. Even when we travelled away from home, we wanted to compete. Getting into the right kind of mindset is something these guys have worked really hard to get into. Looking at the way these guys run into bowl, or even in the field, you can see that mindset. To be the best side in the world, you have to be multi-dimensional. Spin was always our strength, batting was never a problem for us. Ishant was the only experienced bowler for us. We said we can play an extra bowler, and as batsmen we said we'll get the job done. We've got runs in every Test match, our catching has been good too. (Goal) As I said, even without much experience, we travelled very well. We believe we can win anywhere. As long as we keep working with honest intent, those things will follow. We've wanted to be the best team in Test cricket, and as long as we compete, things will work out well for us."

Rohit Sharma is the man of the match, and the man of the series!Tells Sanjay Manjrekar: "I'm thankful for the opportunity to the management for that opening slot. I can take a lot of positives about how to counter the new ball. The new ball is always a threat, and to be able to counter that will be a huge positive. I can take my game forward from that. (Discipline at the start in white-ball cricket too) Yeah, it's something that started in 2013 when I started opening in white-ball cricket. I realised you need some discipline at the start of the innings. It's a template to my batting that allows me some success to my batting. I believe that I can do that for the team, and there are lots of aspects that you need to be mindful of when you're opening. The support of the coach and captain helps. (Double hundreds) Test cricket is a different game. Getting that big score will give confidence moving forward. I always believe that once you are in, it is only mistakes that can get you out. We saw how hard it was to counter that new ball, and once you pass that stage, it's all about how you want to pace yourself. I kept telling myself I want to be there, I want to get a big score and take my team to a good position."

Faf du Plessis speaks to Sanjay Manjrekar: "(After 431 in Vizag, what happened) That's the frustating part of the tour. There were some really good signs, but it went the other way. Every Test, we made more mistakes. But we have to give credit to the Indian team. They were ruthless and they were better than us in every department - spin bowling, fast bowling, batting and even the fielding. They are a difficult team to overcome. (On Indian pace) The mindset after 2015 was to prepare ourselves for really spinning tracks, but it's been the opposite. Really sporting tracks - fantastic for fast bowlers and even for batsmen. There's a lot to learn for us. (Pace on Indian pitches vs South Africa) I think it's the skill of the bowlers. They have a skiddy nature and they hit the right spots and the stumps at all times. Those are the things we talked about before we came here, but naturally the length in South Africa has to be a little shorter, and that takes time to adjust. (On positives) It's important that we have some young guys, and they'll experience this in 3-4 years ago. It was important for us to take something back again. We have to learn to compete the next time again. This is the toughest tour on the circuit...11 series wins in a row bears testament to that."

10.07am Standing by now for the presentation. Most of the individual awards seem to be pretty obvious choices, do they not?

Pranay: "Saha's keeping has been exceptional in this series. I doubt Pant or for that matter, Dhoni, could have taken the de Bruyn catch." -- Don't understand the need to put someone down to praise someone else.

Amir Ali Himani: "And Shahbaz Nadeem is on hat-trick, but he will have to wait until his next Test. Remains to be seen when he gets that opportunity."

We have a bunch of flash interviews conducted by Star Sports:

Ravi Shastri: Our motto was to take pitches out of the equation. 'Bhaad me gaya pitch' (to hell with the pitches). Whether it's Johannesburg or Melbourne or Mumbai, we want to take the pitch out of the equation. With the batting line-up we have, if they post big totals and then we have bowlers who can take 20 wickets - we can keep taking those world championship points we're after. Rahane was never going to go anywhere, he had to rediscover his touch which he's done. Rohit - different plane altogether. As an opener, your mindset has to be different. On the first day here, it was touch. Rohit worked his way out of it, but he kept thinking he had to work hard and cash in when the pitch gets better. That's what happened. Normally in India, you have two players who hog the limelight. Here we've had six or seven payers."

Ravi Shastri on Shahbaz Nadeem: "Extremely impressed. Yesterday when he got his first wicket, I was saying 'If Bishan Singh Bedi was watching, he would've said 'cheers young man'. It was a spinner's delight. To watch it from the outside was classical. 420 plus wickets, the guy has put in the yards, about time he gets the distance. Glad he finished off the game. In front of his home crowd. To take four wickets, what was remarkable was the way he started. There was no nerves, first three overs were maidens. Every ball was on the spot. That's because of his experience."

Mohammed Shami: We're always ready. We know how to bowl in Indian conditions now. We're always prepared. The team management gives us the confidence, the fields we want. The crowds are always behind us. The focus is always on consistency. Fitness is important, that's become a revolution in this side. As far as confidence goes, we've all improved over the last four-five years. All of us enjoy each other's success. As a fast bowler, the unit has improved. We've taken a step ahead of the spinners by working hard, the results are in front of all of us.

Mayank Agarwal: I was happy to make my debut in Australia, very happy to make whatever little contributions we can for the team. It's hard work over a period of many years that we're able to produce these results for the team. But kudos to the bowlers, for all the hard work they've put in and bowl the way they have. It's a lot of fun standing at short leg and seeing the opposition batsmen facing the heat, ducking and weaving out of the way or trying to fend. Shami, Ishant, Umesh & Bumrah keep giving back what they get. Not just bounces, they bowl wicket-taking balls. Good balls.

India's spectacular home run extends to seven years now. 11th straight home series win. Their previous series loss, seeming many million miles in the past, in 2012-13 against England.

9.41am Two overs is all it has taken for this Test to finish. India complete a 3-0 sweep and Shahbaz Nadeem, who has had to wait 15 years for a Test debut after more than 100 first-class matches and 400 plus wickets, finish his debut with four wickets and a stunning run out.

India are now miles ahead of the rest in the World Test Championship table. Five games, five wins. Congratulations all around in the Indian camp. This is now India's biggest Test win over South Africa - the margin being an innings and 202 runs. Eclipsing the previous best in Pune.

Shaun Pollock says: "Hopefully emotions won't take over as South Africa look forward to the England series at home."

Nadeem from the other end. Can he add to his two wickets?

Santhosh: "Any update on Dean Elgar? Is he doing okay? " -- He's doing okay, has been advised rest for now. Earliest he can return to bat is after six days, in line with modern-day concussion rules

short leg, straighish short midwicket and short square leg, all for a bouncer surely? Or the double bluff

9.30am Out come India's fielders. There's no huddle today. Probably the team talk has already taken place in the dressing room. If I were the South African coach, I'd want my boys to extend India's wait. Meanwhile, Wriddhiman Saha who hurt his ring finger while keeping, and had to go off in the final session, is back on the field. Shami with the day's first over.

9.20am It's not all gloom and doom for South Africa. They can look back to a few positives, among them is Zubayr Hamza who showed superb technique and played some of the most eye-catching strokes en route his maiden half-century yesterday. George Linde was steady with the ball. Has a lovely action, imparts plenty of revs and showed he has all the ingredients to be a good left-arm spinner. Can see him give Keshav Maharaj a run for his money in the future. Also, his batting was quite organised.

Umesh Yadav: is chatting with Deep Dasgupta on Star Sports: "If you have pace and bounce, you can be successful at home. Earlier they said as fast bowlers, you've to just be ready for reverse swing after the new ball's shine is done, to allow spinners to come in. But with Shami, Jasprit and I, we plan and we know how we have to go about bowling. All of us have pace. I'm happy to see our fast bowlers are doing what overseas pacers are doing. It gives us wings."

Time to feature some of your comments/feedback then. Fire away

B Seshu: "As per my instincts go maximum 6 overs, SA innings will be done."

Vishwajit Patil: "I would like to see Ash completing that 250th wicket on Indian soil in this test only. Only a wickt away. Let's go!"

Chaitanya Shrof: "It will be fitting to see the Indian pace bowlers wrap up the innings. Easily one of the best efforts from them in recent years at home."

9.10am Yesterday was quite an emotional maiden press conference as an India player for Shahbaz Nadeem. He reflected on the journey to Test cap 296 and even had a word of advice for aspiring young players breaking open doors in domestic cricket.

9.00am How long will India take to finish this Test off? They have two wickets to take. It's possible they can all take an evening flight to their respective destinations and celebrate an early Diwali with their families. South Africa, meanwhile, have a lot of time to contemplate what they can do better. Three Tests lost (nearly), and with England coming, things are bound to get only tougher.

5.22pm That's that from Chandan, Shashank, and myself, Debayan Sen. India have the finish line in sight, and we shall look forward to seeing what Tuesday morning brings for us. Good night for now

Shahbaz Nadeem, speaks to the broadcasters: "It feels good to be rewarded for all the years of hard work, and getting to make my debut on my home ground was the most special feeling. (Getting the cap) It has a different value, that too on the home ground. I was excited, and a bit emotional too, but then I concentrated on what I had to do in the game. I was nervous for the first three balls, especially during my run-up. My nerves settled during the fourth ball. As a left-arm spinner, to get a batsman (Bavuma) stumped is one of the best wickets to get. (On Ashwin and Jadeja) It's fun when you are bowling alongside such seasoned campaigners. They can share their experiences, and what to do, and what not do. They are probably two of the best spinners in the world, and there's so much to learn from everything they do. (On the wicket) As long as the ball is hard, it turns, but a softer ball doesn't turn as much. There are some cracks on the surface, and that helps with the turn. I have been working on my follow-through, and I need to ensure that my body weight goes on with my action."

5.13pm They check for light again, and this time they choose to keep the bails with themselves. Quite an entertaining day of Test cricket, with close to 100 overs and nearly 300 runs scored, with 16 wickets falling, but only one team smiled through virtually every session today. India's quicks were the X-factor on this, the brightest day in terms of weather, this Test in Ranchi. Umesh Yadav set the ball rolling with a beauty of a ball to dismiss Faf du Plessis, and from there, it was only a resistance from Hamza and Bavuma that defied India. There was a decent rearguard from Linde too, but the Indian spinners got in on the act. India began with their speedsters breathing fire again in the second innings, and the concussion injury to Dean Elgar, who was looking solid, didn't help them either. Linde, Piedt and de Bruyn, the last of whom has taken Elgar's place as a concussion sub, have been the only ones to offer some semblance of a fight. Looks like Day 4 could be just a matter of turning up for the final formalities of what has been a dominating performance from India

5.10pm They're checking on the light again, and they seem happy to continue

Philip: "I suggested yesterday that India should declare as soon as Rahane got his 100, (which was at the drinks break at 284/3), and would then bowl SA out twice for an innings defeat, did not think we would be there now....a whole day wasted! Make Rabada captain......please!"