India vs South Africa, 3rd Test: Keegan Petersen leads Proteas to stunning series win

South
Africa
resumed
on
101-2,
needing
another
111
to
win,
following
Dean
Elgar’s
dismissal
right
at
the
end
of
day
three
and
they
completed
another
superb
run
chase
after
winning
the
second
Test
by
the
same
margin.

Petersen
crafted
a
classy
82
and
put
on
54
for
the
third
wicket
with
Rassie
van
der
Dussen,
who
was
unbeaten
on
41
as
the
Proteas
won
an
enthralling
series
after
losing
the
first
Test
at
SuperSport
Park.

1

51801

Temba
Bavuma
(32
not
out)
and
Van
der
Dussen
finished
off
the
job
with
an
unbroken
fourth-wicket
stand
of
57,
ensuring
India’s
wait
for
a
first
Test
series
triumph
in
South
Africa
goes
on.

The
elegant
Petersen
brought
up
his
third
half-century
in
the
longest
format
as
he
continued
to
play
positively
under
pressure
in
the
morning
session
in
the
Proteas’ pursuit
of
a
victory
target
of
212,
with
support
from
Van
der
Dussen.

Cheteshwar
Pujara
dropped
a
straightforward
slip
catch
when
Petersen
offered
a
chance
on
59
after
Jasprit
Bumrah
drew
an
edge,
but
the
number
three
was
on
his
way
after
chopping
on
attempting
to
steer
Shardul
Thakur
into
the
off
side.

India
were
unable
to
make
further
inroads
in
the
morning
session,
although
Van
der
Dussen
had
a
scare
when
he
was
struck
on
the
pad,
but
Marais
Erasmus
did
not
raise
the
finger
and
the
verdict
was
umpire’s
call
after
Virat
Kohli
reviewed.

Van
der
Dussen
and
Bavuma
looked
untroubled
after
lunch,
with
the
white-ball
captain
driving
Ravichandran
Ashwin
for
four
to
seal
a
famous
series
win
and
put
India
out
of
their
misery.

Petersen
a
class
act

For
a
man
playing
in
only
his
fifth
Test,
Petersen
looked
like
he
had
been
in
the
Test
arena
for
years
as
he
made
a
second
half-century
of
the
match,
having
made
72
in
the
first
innings.

This
was
a
classy
knock
from
the
28-year-old,
who
played
with
finesse
and
great
composure
with
so
much
at
stake
to
put
South
Africa
well
on
their
way
to
victory.

Petersen,
who
struck
10
boundaries
as
he
showed
the
application
that
his
side
needed
with
the
series
on
the
line,
can
be
a
mainstay
in
the
side
for
years
to
come.

India
fizzle
out
after
promising
start

India
were
strongly
fancied
to
secure
an
elusive
series
Test
series
win
in
South
Africa
after
their
victory
in
Centurion.

A
win
could
still
have
been
there
for
the
taking
when
they
took
to
the
field
on
Friday,
but
they
were
left
to
reflect
on
what
might
have
been
and
Pujara’s
dropped
catch
summed
up
their
day.

They
lacked
potency
and
there
was
a
sense
of
deja
vu
as
South
Africa
ultimately
made
light
work
of
completing
the
comeback,
with
India’s
lack
of
runs
proving
costly.