India win Kotla Test against South Africa to seal series 3-0. It took the Indians nearly six hours to displace AB de Villiers from the batting crease. It took the Indians a little over five overs to knock over the last five South African batsmen. And then it took less than 10 seconds for jubilant fielders to pluck out all three stumps behind a bewildered Morne Morkel, who had shouldered arms to R Ashwin and been bowled to give India a 337-run win and a 3-0 series scoreline. This was also India’s highest victory margin in terms of runs, beating their 320-run defeat of Australia in Mohali in 2008. The end, when it came, was as swift as it was clinical, but India were forced to work their hardest to earn this win in the final Test at the Ferozeshah Kotla on December 7.

Background:-

• This has been an unqualified victory, where India has dominated throughout, putting up a display of spin bowling that has entangled the South African batsmen to their worst performance ever.
• For a team that has an enviable record away from home, this is a disaster they will find hard to explain and harder to digest.This was a series that was billed as the contenders challenging the best team in the world, a team which has had the reputation of being the best travellers of the game in recent years.
• In a country where Test cricket is losing its pre-eminence and is in danger of being swamped by the glamour, razzle-dazzle and rapid pace of the IPL, this series was for many, including me, a chance to showcase the longer version of the game at its best.
• Alas, all it did was show Test cricket at its worst, so one-sided were the contests.
• Throughout the four-match series, India was so dominating and the South Africans so timid and meek that they must have been an embarrassment for fans back home.