Cape Town - Faf du Plessis says that he is “incredibly proud” to be the captain of a Proteas team that created history by becoming the first side to hand world champions Australia a 5-0 drubbing in a one-day international series.
The South Africans had already clinched overall victory last week, and it would’ve been easy for the Proteas to relax in the final ODI at Newlands on Wednesday.
Instead, despite a magnificent 173 by David Warner, Faf du Plessis’s team posted a remarkable 327/8 in their 50 overs – the third highest ever ODI score at Newlands – and kept their composure with the ball in the end to pull off a 31-run win and a 5-0 clean sweep.
It is a historic achievement - as it was the first time that Australia were beaten 5-0 - and the fact that the world champions fought hard to avoid the ignominy of losing all the games made the win that much sweeter for the Proteas.
And it doesn’t matter that the visitors were missing a number of senior pacemen such as Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood – they are the strongest available Aussie team, and they were ruthlessly dispatched by a well-oiled South African outfit.
“It’s (winning 5-0) really special. We as a team, obviously before the series, didn’t expect 5-0. We wanted to beat the Aussies, but when we got to 3-0, it was important for us to try and make sure we don’t take our foot off the gas. This group of players wanted to make history, and we did that today,” Du Plessis said in the post-match press conference at Newlands.
“It’s a special feeling. As always, these things probably won’t make as much sense while we are sitting here now, but I’m hoping that tomorrow when I wake up and going forward, this will be an incredible team effort and team achievement that will last a long time.
“I’m incredibly proud to sit here and be the captain of a side that’s done that. But for me, the greatest thing is that we were a team right through this series. We had special guys put up their hand through every game, which is what you want as a captain.”
The Proteas didn’t get their customary quick start from Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla, while Du Plessis also played a rash shot that saw them reduced to 52/3 after 11 overs. But the two left-handers Rilee Rossouw and JP Duminy combined for a record fourth-wicket partnership of 178 – the best at Newlands and for South Africa against Australia.
Rossouw blossomed to go to his third ODI ton and was dismissed for a commanding 122 off 118 balls (14x4, 2x6) – and was later named the Man of the Series with 311 runs in five innings – while Duminy displayed wonderful touch to compile 73 off 75 deliveries (8x4).
Then it was leg-spinner Imran Tahir who got two big breakthroughs in his first over by getting rid of Aaron Finch and Australian captain Steve Smith within three balls with what looked like top-spinners that skidded on and saw both batsmen bowled.
Warner – who was given a “life” on 11 when De Kock dropped a chance off Kagiso Rabada when he dived to his left for a ball was heading for Amla at slip – was almost unstoppable after that as he got stuck into the unfortunate Rabada, hitting 11 out of his 24 boundaries off the paceman’s bowling alone in an astonishing assault.
But the powerful left-hander was eventually run out by Tahir for 173 off just 136 balls, which clinched the Man-of-the-Match award.
“The great thing for me once again was that we had different guys standing up. JP batted really well, and Rilee had a really good innings. A 100 partnership off a 160, 170-odd (balls) is a game-changer, and a goal that we set for ourselves in the team is to try and do things that we normally didn’t do. That was an amazing partnership,” Du Plessis said.
“Obviously David Warner played an amazing innings, and well done to him. But we were just too good on the night once again, and I’m just really proud of everyone right through the series – the performances that they put up against a strong Australian team. They competed tonight, but it was a good, composed… especially the batting performance.”
Now the focus shifts to the Test arena for both teams, with the Proteas leaving on Sunday ahead of a three-match series Down Under, starting at the Waca in Perth on November 3.
Du Plessis will again lead the team in the absence of the injured AB de Villiers, and there are two warm-up games scheduled in Adelaide before the opening Test.
But the one-day squad will thoroughly enjoy Wednesday night’s triumph, as it’s not every day that an Australian team is trounced like that by the Proteas.
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