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Thursday March 28, 2024

Ashwin spins India to series win over South Africa

By our correspondents
November 28, 2015
NAGPUR, India: Ravichandran Ashwin claimed 12 wickets in the match as India swamped South Africa by 124 runs with two days to spare in the third Test on Friday to clinch the series.
The Proteas, who resumed at 32-2 chasing a target of 310, folded up for 185 in their second innings after tea on the third day on a dusty, deteriorating pitch at the VCA stadium in Nagpur.
Off-spinner Ashwin followed his 5-32 in the first innings with 7-66 in the second to take his tally in the series to 24 wickets in five innings so far.
India had won the first Test in Mohali by 108 runs, while the second in Bangalore was washed out by rain after the opening day’s play.
Proteas captain Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis put on the highest partnership in the Test of 72 runs, scoring 39 apiece, but no other batsman touched 20.
Leg-spinner Amit Mishra removed both batsmen in the space of six deliveries just before tea, ending the resistance by the flat-footed tourists against the turning ball.
Indian captain Virat Kohli hailed Ashwin as the best spinner in the world and said he was pleased to win the series against the number one side in the world. “Ashwin is a world-class spinner, probably the best in the world at the moment,” said Kohli.
“It is very pleasing to defeat South Africa, especially since they won both the Twenty20 and one-day series earlier. We played some very good cricket in all the three Tests.”
Amla said it was a “difficult” wicket to bat on. “The pitch was a difficult factor, it was turning and bouncing whether it was the new ball or the old one,” said Amla. “It was a hard game, but we are obviously very disappointed.
“Whether we win or lose, we have to fight honourably. We tried to dig deep as long as we could.”
Amla and du Plessis, who came together in the morning session after the fall of the fourth wicket at 58, defended for 46.2 overs in the fifth-wicket partnership.
Amla negotiated 167 deliveries and du Plessis faced 152 balls before falling in quick succession to Mishra at the end of the afternoon session.
Amla, whose highest score in the series is 43, edged a catch to Kohli at gully. In Mishra’s next over, du Plessis played over an attempted pull and was bowled.
Score Board
India won toss
India 1st innings 215 all-out (M Vijay 40; Harmer 4-78)
South Africa 1st innings 79 all-out (J Duminy 35; Ashwin 5-32)
India 2nd innings 173 all-out (S Dhawan 39; Imran 5-38)
South Africa 2nd innings
D Elgar lbw b Ashwin 18
S van Zyl c R Sharma b Ashwin 5
Imran Tahir lbw b Mishra 8
*H M Amla c Kohli b Mishra 39
A B de Villiers lbw b Ashwin 9
F du Plessis b Mishra 39
J P Duminy lbw b Ashwin 19
†D J Vilas c Saha b Ashwin 12
S R Harmer not out 8
K Rabada c Kohli b Ashwin 6
M Morkel b Ashwin 4
Extras (b 9, lb 5, nb 4) 18
Total (all out; 89.5 overs) 185
Fall: 1-17, 2-29, 3-40, 4-58, 5-130, 6-135, 7-164, 8-167, 9-177, 10-185
Bowling: I Sharma 15-6-20-0 (4nb); Ashwin 29.5-7-66-7; Jadeja 25-12-34-0; Mishra 20-2-51-3
Result: India won by 124 runs
Series: India lead the 4-match series by 2-0
Man of the Match: R Ashwin (India)
Umpires: I J Gould (England) and B N J Oxenford (Australia). TV umpire: A K Chaudhary. Match referee: J J Crowe (New Zealand)