Player of the Match
Player of the Match

9:22pm Suryakumar walks over to collect the trophy, and once he has posed for the initial picture, he asks for the trophy to be handed over to Ramandeep, Vijaykumar Vyshak and Yash Dayal, stood at the centre of their team gathering. And now, the celebrations start. India will be proud of what they have accomplished on this tour, and a 3-1 score-line does them complete justice.

That also brings to an end our coverage of this match and this series. We hope you enjoyed it just as much as we loved bringing it to you. Until next time, this is goodbye from Vairavan and myself. Take care, folks!

Tilak Varma, is the Player of the Match and the Player of the Series: (On his hundred today) Last year when I played, I got out first-ball here. This was a crucial knock for the team (in the context of the series). I just wanted to hold my shape and back myself, and stick to my basics. I was calm and was just trying to follow the basics. It is an unbelievable feeling. I never imagined I would score two hundreds - that too in South Africa, and I cannot express (my feelings). I want to thank God and my captain Suryakumar Yadav. (On his celebrations) I was injured for the last couple of months, and I was just believing in my processes and when I got my hundred, I just pointed towards God.

Suryakumar Yadav, India captain: There is no secret to adapting to the conditions and situations. Our plans were very clear. Last time when we came here, we played the same brand of cricket and wanted to continue that. The game today, we spoke about it and we wanted to follow those good habits. Didn't think about the results and it happened automatically. (On their batting) It is very difficult for me to choose between the two. It was amazing batting skills displayed by them (Abhishek, Sanju and Tilak). We spoke about it and they walked the talk. (On their bowling) We knew there is something definitely in the wicket after the lights come on and the temperature drops. We just followed that, stuck to our lines and the result was right in front of us. It gives a big boost (after winning an ICC tournament), winning from where we won. It was incredible the way we won that. Coming into this series…it is always challenging to come here and to win and go back home. This is a special win and will stay with me forever. (On the support staff) They were just sitting and enjoying the show since the first day. They spoke to the boys, and told us to run the show. Even today, the message was loud and clear: to do what we wanted, even if it was winning the toss and batting first.

Aiden Markram, South Africa captain: Quite hard (to sum up today). Completely outplayed in all three aspects. We wanted to level the series but could not put a game together. With bat and ball, they put us under pressure. Some good honest reflections need to take place now. (On the extras they gave away) Nowadays, you can't just be hitting the stumps. You have to use the wide lines. I suppose you are happy with one or two but we wanted to get better at execution, and keep moving in the right direction (as a team). Maybe not 15 wides, just two or three. Hopefully in the long run, moving towards 2026, we can get that right. (How they pick themselves up) I suppose, as a white-ball team, we will have a good reflection and can get stuck into some work, and come back better players, with better skills and with better execution. Down to each individual to see which direction their game can go and invest in it. (On the positives) Marco Jansen was incredible. Gerald Coetzee as well. It is tough in the Highveld with the extra pace but the never-say-die attitude from them was really good.

Varun Chakravarthy: The last two matches have been challenging. We tried to plan and execute whatever we planned. Even though a few sixes were hit, we knew one miscue could get us a wicket. We went with three spinners throughout the series and it worked for us. Me and Bishnoi, we set up a partnership and it is coming good. The best approach was to stay away from the arc. I bowled a few short balls as well, and that actually worked for me.

9:10pm Stick around, folks. We will bring the quotes from the post-match presentation shortly.

9pm If ever there was a one-sided contest, this was it. India plundered and plundered South Africa in the first innings and then, found excessive movement with the new ball. Arshdeep set the tone, removing Hendricks in the first over, before accounting for Markram and Klaasen soon after. Pandya was also unplayable at times and if India's batting innings did not deflate South Africa, their bowling display in the first four overs certainly did. Axar, Bishnoi and Ramandeep also found themselves among the wickets, along with the dependable Chakravarthy.

As for South Africa, well, everything that could have gone wrong for them went wrong. They lost the toss and had to hunt leather for 20 overs. And when their turn came to bat, they were flummoxed by India's dexterity with the new ball. Miller and Stubbs were the only two batters to go past 30, and only four of their batters made it to double-digits, with South Africa only finishing 28 runs ahead of Tilak Varma's individual score. And while that may seem a rather damning assessment, it is also what captures their plight today most accurately.

18.2
W
Ramandeep Singh to Sipamla, OUT, There it is! Ramandeep's first wicket in T20I cricket, a 3-1 series victory for India and in the final round, they have unloaded on South Africa, flooring them with an array of haymakers, hooks, uppercuts and body blows! Slower ball on a full length outside off. Sipamla, like so many before him, swipes across the line in agricultural fashion. Skews it straight up and Axar does the rest at backward point. Handshakes and smiles from those in India's blue. This was a thoroughly dominant display; much more pensive expressions from those in the South African green. They could have tied this series up, but on a day when they needed to stand up, they did not even turn up!

L Sipamla c Patel b Ramandeep Singh 3 (5m 4b 0x4 0x6) SR: 75.00

18.1
2
Ramandeep Singh to Sipamla, 2 runs, length just outside off. Sipamla stands tall on the front foot and drives on the up past extra cover for a brace

Ramandeep to bowl out. He has SA's No.11 in his sights

END OF OVER:
18 | 5 Runs 1 Wkt | SA: 146/9 (138 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 8.11, RRR: 69.00)

  • Marco Jansen29 (12b)
  • Lutho Sipamla1 (2b)
  • Axar Patel2-0-6-2
  • Ramandeep Singh3-0-40-0
17.6
4
Patel to Jansen, FOUR, nails it and that blazes across the turf! Very full outside off. Jansen gets down on the sweep and blasts it between deep backward square leg and deep mid wicket!
17.5
0
Patel to Jansen, no run, darted in on a back of a length on leg stump. Jansen swings like a rusty gate and misses
17.4
0
Patel to Jansen, no run, India appeal but pretty sure one-hand, one-bounce was not applicable for this series! Length outside off. Jansen scuffs his reverse sweep and seems to hit it into the turf, before the ball bounces up for slip to gather. India reckon it has come off the boot and then into slip's hands. They could not have been more wrong. Jansen smashed that into the pitch!
17.3
1
Patel to Sipamla, 1 run, slanted in full on the pads. Worked away towards deep mid wicket to get off the mark
17.2
0
Patel to Sipamla, no run, back of a length outside off. Sipamla wafts at it and is beaten

Sipamla is the last batter in

17.1
W
Patel to Maharaj, OUT, superb work from Tilak Varma, and Axar has another! Dangles the carrot outside off and Maharaj bites. Slices across it too much, while trying to go inside out, and pops it towards deep backward point. Tilak makes up plenty of ground to his left and then completes the catch with a smart slide. South Africa on the brink!

KA Maharaj c Tilak Varma b Patel 6 (10m 8b 0x4 0x6) SR: 75.00

END OF OVER:
17 | 9 Runs | SA: 141/8 (143 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 8.29, RRR: 47.66)

  • Marco Jansen25 (9b)
  • Keshav Maharaj6 (7b)
  • Ramandeep Singh3-0-40-0
  • Axar Patel1-0-1-1
16.6
0
Ramandeep Singh to Jansen, no run, full and wide outside off. Zips off the surface and goes past Jansen's flailing blade. That carried through nicely

143 needed off 19. SA still not past the half-way mark of their chase

16.5
4
Ramandeep Singh to Jansen, FOUR, another boundary for Jansen! Another slower ball but this is full enough outside off to be punished. Jansen reaches out for it in front and then with a tug of the wrists, whips it between deep mid wicket and deep square leg!
16.4
1
Ramandeep Singh to Maharaj, 1 run, slower ball on a back of a length outside off. Maharaj waits for it and stabs it towards long off. That was bowled at 93.6kph

The physio checks on Bishnoi, conducts the mandatory tests and we are good to go

16.3
2
Ramandeep Singh to Maharaj, 2 runs, through Bishnoi's hands, and Ramandeep has to wait for his maiden international wicket! Dug into the track outside off. Holds in the surface and Maharaj clinks his pull. The ball goes a mile up and Bishnoi, stood at deep mid wicket, never looked comfortable under it. Might have grazed him on the head as it slipped through his fingers. Good thing is that it only seemed like a glancing blow
16.2
2
Ramandeep Singh to Maharaj, 2 runs, full outside off. Maharaj plants his front foot and chips it over mid off. Rinku tears after it and pulls it back into play, saving two runs
16.1
0
Ramandeep Singh to Maharaj, no run, zipped in full on the pads. Maharaj plays all over his flick and gets pinged on the back leg

Ramandeep is back. Can he get himself on the board?

END OF OVER:
16 | 1 Run 1 Wkt | SA: 132/8 (152 runs required from 24 balls, RR: 8.25, RRR: 38.00)

  • Keshav Maharaj1 (3b)
  • Marco Jansen21 (7b)
  • Axar Patel1-0-1-1
  • Ravi Bishnoi3-0-28-1
15.6
1
Patel to Maharaj, 1 run, even slower on a full length outside off. Maharaj gets under it too much and spoons it up. Fortunately for him, Abhishek, running in from sweeper cover, cannot make up enough ground to reach it
15.5
0
Patel to Maharaj, no run, pushed in on a length on middle and leg. Maharaj backs away before jabbing it towards extra cover

South Africa 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st1RR HendricksRD Rickelton
2nd0AK MarkramRD Rickelton
3rd9T StubbsAK Markram
4th0H KlaasenT Stubbs
5th86DA MillerT Stubbs
6th0T StubbsM Jansen
7th9M JansenA Simelane
8th26G CoetzeeM Jansen
9th10KA MaharajM Jansen
10th7M JansenL Sipamla