India registered their maiden series clean sweep against South Africa on Tuesday as they picked defeated the Proteas by an innings and 203 runs in Ranchi. Needing two wickets to win the match on Day 4, Shahbaz Nadeem picked two wickets in two balls, to finish the match after just 9 minutes of the day’s play. The visitors were bundled out for 133, spelling a new height of dominance for Kohli’s Team India. Rohit Sharma was named man of the match for his double ton, and was also named the man of the series for his sensational performance.
So where does India stand in the World Test Championship that started in August?
With the win, India continue their perfect record, winning five matches in five games so far. The Kohli-led side is the only team to cross the 200-run mark in the table with the emphatic victory. With three matches in the series, every game was worth 40 points, and India’s total tally goes to 240 points in five games. New Zealand and Sri Lanka are tied on points, at 2nd and 3rd positions respectively, with 60 points each. It means India have a lead of 180 points over the 2nd best team in the table, as of now.
India also created a world record as they claimed their 11th straight home Test series win. It was also Team India’s biggest win against South Africa in Tests in terms of runs.
Speaking after the win, skipper Virat Kohli credited the bowlers for their effort. “You guys have seen how we’re playing. Making things happen on pitches that don’t seem to offer too much, is something we’re very proud of. Even when we travelled away from home, we wanted to compete. Getting into the right kind of mindset is something these guys have worked really hard to get into. Looking at the way these guys run into bowl, or even in the field, you can see that mindset. To be the best side in the world, you have to be multi-dimensional. Spin was always our strength, batting was never a problem for us. Ishant was the only experienced bowler for us. We said we can play an extra bowler, and as batsmen we said we’ll get the job done.”
He further said that it was a team effort. “We’ve got runs in every Test match, our catching has been good too. (Goal) As I said, even without much experience, we travelled very well. We believe we can win anywhere. As long as we keep working with honest intent, those things will follow. We’ve wanted to be the best team in Test cricket, and as long as we compete, things will work out well for us.”
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