The Proteas suffered their biggest Test defeat to India ever on Sunday, losing by an innings and 137 runs as the hosts wrapped up the Test series with a game to spare.
In a match that finished inside three days, South Africa were put to the sword by the hosts, who, bolstered by Virat Kohli’s career-best 254 not out, posted 601/5.
Their mammoth total put India in absolute control before dismissing the tourists for 275 and forcing the follow-on after wiping out the Proteas top order for 53/5. Resuming on 36/3, captain Faf du Plessis’ manne could do no better as they soon crumbled to 79/5.
Once again the Indian spinners bamboozled the Proteas by taking six final-day scalps, with Umesh Yadav (3/22), Ravi Ashwin (2/45) and Ravindra Jadeja (3/52) sharing eight second-inning wickets.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSAnews?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSAnewsGeorge Linde to replace Keshav Maharaj https://t.co/GQbsgy4HoD pic.twitter.com/3xcseDLRux
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA)
There was little resistance shown by Temba Bavuma (38) and Senuran Muthusamy (9) for the sixth wicket and again from Vernon Philander (37) and Keshav Maharaj (22) for the eighth.
But that wasn’t enough as the Proteas were bowled out for 189.
To rub salt into their wounds, spinner Maharaj, who top-scored in the first innings with 72, was ruled out of the final Test after picking up a shoulder injury.
He has been replaced by Cape Cobras left-arm spinner George Linde in the squad.