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South Africa cricket team clinched the three-match Test series by defeating India in the third Test by 7 wickets. Virat Kohli-led Indian team had won the first Test by 113 runs but eventually they failed to carry on the winning momentum.
While talking about their strategies and game plan, South Africa head coach Mark Boucher pointed out that “getting 30-40 runs in the first hour” was exactly what the Proteas had needed.
The strategy
"It just set up the change room, getting 30-40 runs in the first hour was exactly what we needed. We saw this in the second Test as well that when you are start getting 250-60 runs required, it becomes a difficult as a bowling unit to slow the game down. so that's really went according to the plan today. It was a tense day but a day the guys will remember that how to win in tough situations, not in just this Test match but last Test match as well," Boucher said in a post-match press conference.
"When you are in the batting change room, the runs feel miles away and when you are in the fielding or bowling change room, then you always feels that runs are never quite enough, so just trying to find a bit of a balance. We knew that the conditions are going to be really tough today, as its extremely hot outside. The mount they bowled in the first innings, played sport as well. So getting through the first hour with the run scale was very important for us," he added.
South African fightback
After the defeat in the first Test, things looked little uncertain for the hosts. Indian team, on the other hand were pumped up after their sensational first Test victory and seemed the favourites to take the winning momentum forward but in reality, that was not the case. South African team, under the leadership of Dean Elgar showed extreme courage and their gritty mindset in winning two back-to-back Test matches and claiming a terrific series victory.
Apart from Elgar’s leadership qualities, Boucher also mentioned Temba Bavuma’s batting as well. According to the Proteas head coach, players like Bavuma and Elgar are “real fighters.”
"The team showed great character and fight, but that did not surprise me because Dean Elgar is a captain that leads from the front and Temba Bavuma too. That fight showed in Dean and Temba's batting as well, so the guys will certainly follow that. When you have real fighters like that as leaders, then that will probably be the character of the team as well," coach Boucher explained.
