Virat Kohli-led India broke the record set by Australia for most consecutive series win at home with their 11th series win, after clinching the Freedom Series with their second win by an innings and 137 runs.
India beat South Africa by an innings and 137 runs in the second Test at MCA Stadium, Pune on Sunday to clinch the three-match series 2-0. Virat Kohli-led India broke the record set by Australia for most consecutive series win at home with their 11th series win. India’s winning streak that started eight years ago. Australia held the previous record winning 10 Test series on the trot at home.
Kohli became the first Indian captain to enforce the follow-on against South Africa. Trailing by 326 runs, Aiden Markram got out to Ishant Sharma on the second delivery of Day Four. The Proteas suffered another batting collapse as they lost four wickets in the first session. Dean Elgar missed out on his half-century by just two runs.
Temba Bavuma showed resistance with his 63-ball 38 but Senuran Muthusamy and Quinton de Kock failed to stay on the crease as visitors lost three wickets in the third session.
Vernon Philander and Keshav Maharaj shared another 50-plus partnership delaying the inevitable. Philander scored 37 whereas Maharaj scored 22. Umesh Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja picked three wickets each. R Ashwin took a couple of wickets in the first session. Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma contributed with one wicket each.
This is Kohli’s 30th Test win as captain, the third-most for captains in first 50 Tests. Steve Waugh had 37 wins whereas Ricky Ponting had 35. India have inflicted 34 all outs in Tests since 2018, most by any team.
This was also South Africa’s sixth consecutive loss at home, second-most on the trot in South Africa’s Test cricket history.
Earlier, Indian skipper won the toss and elected to bat first. The 30-year-old scored an unbeaten 254 supported by Mayank Agarwal’s century and half-centuries from Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and Jadeja posting a daunting first innings score of 601 for five wickets.
The visitors were outclassed by Indian bowlers in the first innings as they were all out for 275 runs. Ashwin was the most successful bowler in the first innings with four wickets to his name.
India will play take on South Africa in the third and last Test of the series at JSCA Stadium, Ranchi aiming for a whitewash.
