The number game
With the Freedom Trophy in India’s hands, the boys of blue have really done well. To defeat the best-ranked test team who has a good overseas record was nothing short of an extraordinary effort; full marks to the Indian team.
Here are a few milestones that were crossed during theIndia Vs South Africa Test series.
- The 3-0 win helped India to get to the second spot in the test ranking. They are now the number two side in the world.
- The 337-run victory over South Africa is the largest run margin in tests, eclipsing the 320-run win over Australia under Mahendra Singh Dhoni at Mohali in 2008-2009.
- South Africa’s defeat is their second biggest in terms of runs behind the 520-run defeat to Australia at Melbourne in February 1911.
- India has won consecutive rubbers under Virat Kohli’s captaincy: 2-1 against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka in 2015 and 3-0 against South Africa in the Freedom Trophy in India again in 2015.
- Ajinkya Rahane’s impressive match tally of 227 (127+100 not out) is the best by an Indian batsman in a winning cause against South Africa in tests.
- Rahane has justifiably received the Man of the Match award for the first time in a series.
- Hashim Amla has managed 118 runs in seven innings without a fifty at an average of 16.85 in the series – his worst performance in a four – Test series.
- Jean-Paul Duminy has posted his seventh duck in tests, his seventh against India.
- Ashwin, with 16 instances of five-wicket hauls in 32 Tests, has equaled Bhagwat Chandrasekhar’s tally in 58 Tests. Just three Indian bowlers have more five-wicket hauls – Anil Kumble (35), Harbhajan Singh (25) and Kapil Dev (23).
- Ravindra Jadeja’s economy rate of 0.56 is the best by any bowler delivering atleast 35 overs.
- AB de Villiers (43) has faced 297 balls – the most by a batsman not to score a fifty in a Test innings.
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