The Proteas sealed a convincing win inside three days against India at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Thursday.
IOL Sport’s Zaahier Adams looks at the five stand-out moments from the day’s action.
Standing ovation: Centurion stood up and saluted one its favourite sons on Thursday when Dean Elgar was eventually dismissed for a second-highest Test best 185. From the moment Elgar edged behind down the leg side and began making his way towards the pavilion, the entire SuperSport Park was on its feet in applause. Elgar, who is retiring after the next Test at Newlands, was visibly emotional with the reception he received.
Is Jansen the new Shaun Pollock? It seems the Proteas have finally unearthed a genuine Test all-rounder in the mould of Pollock and Lance Klusener. Marco Jansen may have been out of sorts with the ball during India’s first innings, but he was fantastic with the bat. He was the chief run-scorer in an 111-run partnership with Elgar that cemented the Proteas’ position of dominance and was unlucky to run out of partners with a maiden Test hundred within sight.
Spot Temba! For most of the day, both the television cameras and journalists inside the media box tried to locate the Proteas skipper, who had not been seen since the middle of Day 2. There was speculation that Bavuma may come out and hobble on one leg — ala Graeme Smith in Sydney — to help Jansen to his century, but instead the Proteas’ innings closed when Nandre Burger was dismissed. Eventually at 3:40pm, an update was released stating that “there was too much of a risk of aggravating his left hamstring injury had he gone out to bat at this stage of the game.”
Butter fingers! India’s capitulation was rapid but it could have been even quicker had the Proteas held on to all their chances. Aiden Markram fluffed a chance at slip the very first ball of the second innings before Keegan Petersen and Jansen put down a couple more later. It may not have influenced the final outcome, but it is an area of their game the home side will want to improve on before Newlands.
Quote: “We drool over a lot of players internationally. Maybe it's time to start drooling about our own players. I think David is someone we can drool over.” — Proteas coach Shukri Conrad on debutant David Bedingham.
IOL Sport