3. 2018- India wins by 63 runs, Johannesburg
India had come into this third Test of the series already having lost the first two Test matches and trying to avoid a whitewash. The pitch was a difficult one to play on due to uneven bounce and Virat Kohli chose to bat first after winning the toss.
India lost openers KL Rahul (0) and Murali Vijay (8) early, but then an 84-run stand between captain Virat Kohli (54) and Cheteshwar Pujara (50) saved India from blushes. Bhuvneshwar Kumar made 30 as India posted 187 runs in the first innings.
In reply, Indian bowlers came to the party and though Hashim Amla made 61 and Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander made thirties, South Africa managed just 194 runs. Jasprit Bumrah in only his third Test match picked 5/54, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar took 3/44.
India fared much better in the second innings, despite the pitch getting harder to bat on. Ajinkya Rahane made 48 and Kohli made 41. Even Bhuvneshwar (33) and Shami (27) contributed as India posted 247 runs on the board and gave South Africa a stiff 241-run target to win the Test.
Aiden Markram fell to Mohammad Shami in the second over, but a 119-run stand between Dean Elgar and Hashim Amla (52) kept South Africa in the hunt. But as he fell at the score of 124 runs, Proteas batting collapse spectacularly.
Though Dean Elgar remained unbeaten on 86, carrying his bat through the innings, South Africa folded for 177 runs. Shami finished with 5/28 and Bumrah and Ishant Sharma took two scalps each, as India recorded their third Test win in South Africa by 63 runs.
These three Test wins will give India a lot of hope as they prepare to conquer their final frontier in South Africa and finally win the Test series in the rainbow nation.
