South African batter Keegan Petersen hailed the Indian bowling line-up as the most challenging attack, saying that he wouldn’t have wanted another way to build his career.

After being thumped by 113 runs in the first Test of three-match series against India, South Africa displayed sensational performance in the last two games and clinched the series 2-1. 

One of the main architects for the Dean Elgar-led side was the batter, Keegan Petersen. The right-hander finished as the top-scorer in the three-match series with 276 runs to his name, including three half-centuries.   

Petersen played a match-winning innings in the final Test in Cape Town and was adjudged Player of the Match. He scored 72 runs in the first innings and then followed it with an 82-run knock in the second innings that helped hosts chase 212 to seal the series. He was also awarded Player of the Series for his heroics. 

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Talking about the recently concluded Test series between South Africa and India, Keegan Petersen called the Indian bowling line-up the most challenging attack he has come across in his career, saying that it hasn’t been an easy start to his career. 

"It was by far the most challenging bowling I have come across in my career, whether it's been in first-class cricket or any form of cricket. It hasn't been an easy introduction for me to international cricket, but I honestly wouldn't have it any other way,” Keegan Petersen was quoted as saying on the Cricket South Africa website.

Petersen said that feeling of winning the Test series for his side hasn’t sunk in yet for him and he’s trying to get over it. He admitted that it was a challenging series against one of the best bowling attacks in the world. 

"My journey's unique and it's my story to tell as well. It hasn't completely sunk in yet. I still can't explain how it feels completely despite it being two days already. Myself, my family, and everyone close to us are still trying to get over it somehow. It was a challenging series against one of the best bowling attacks in the world,” he said.

Petersen said that he’s grateful for the opportunity provided to him and is proud to be a part of a group that is trying to start something new in South African cricket.

"Whether I bat in first couple of overs or whether I bat after 50 overs, I'm just grateful to have the opportunity to be there, playing amongst a group of guys who are also trying to start something new in South African cricket. We are also trying to tell a new story as a team together as well,”  he said.

Petersen lauded Dean Elgar as a brilliant leader, saying that the southpaw is going to achieve great things as a captain and they wouldn’t want anyone else to lead the Test team. 

"Deano as our captain, he's going to, he has and he is going to achieve great things as well as a captain. He's a brilliant leader and we wouldn't want anyone else to lead us," he said. 

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Petersen admitted that after losing the first Test, it wasn’t a great scenario for them but they had strong chats about the ways to bounce back. 

"The achievement for us as a squad, we know the chips were down and the odds were against us especially after the first game where we were beaten. It wasn't a good scenario, but we had a couple of strong chats after the game looking at ways to bounce back,” he said. 

Keegan Petersen further said that even though they are treated as underdogs, they always come back fighting. He hoped his side to continue displaying performances like these for years to come. 

"It's just our personalities and character as South Africans, even though we're the underdogs, we always come back fighting. That's just how we are and we showed that during this series. Hopefully, it carries on for years to come,” he concluded. 

Both South Africa and India will now cross swords against each other in the ODI series, which will kick start from 19th January. 

(PTI inputs)