When Virat Kohli was engaging in skirmishes with Indian and South African journalists over conditions, home and away records and more, Faf du Plessis, South Africa's captain
SA's Lungi Ngidi celebrates Hardik Pandya's wicket yesterday. Pic/Getty Images
When Virat Kohli was engaging in skirmishes with Indian and South African journalists over conditions, home and away records and more, Faf du Plessis, South Africa's captain, was sitting patiently at the back of the press conference room, with Lungi Ngidi, Man of the Match on Test debut for having returned second innings figures of six for 39.
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Ngidi shines on debut
On a pitch that was hardly fast-bowler friendly, Ngidi worked up serious pace to scythe through India, bowling them out for only 151, handing South Africa a 135-run win. Rohit Sharma made 47, but it was too little, too late. Du Plessis was listening carefully when Kohli flared up about, pointing to South Africa's performances in India. When his turn came, Du Plessis, chose his words carefully and wisely. "Our win rate away from home is the best in the world, so we have played some really good cricket. The last time we went to India we didn't play as well, but I do feel the conditions were touching on extreme," said Du Plessis.
"For me, the way to look at that is even the Indian batting line-up struggled in conditions where their spinners were much better than ours. Every Test match lasted three days [Delhi went the distance], and I think there was only one hundred.
Contest between bat & ball
"In this series, there have been times when it has looked tough, but there have been guys scoring runs and guys taking wickets, so there is always that battle between bat and ball." It was the contest between bat and ball that made the conditions in South Africa different from the rank turners served up in India. "If it is just dominated by seam or spin bowling then I think the wickets are excessive," said Du Plessis. "If you have all factors in five days or even four days… the first morning at Newlands was tough but then it got good, this got tough at the end of the Test."
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