South Africa vs India 2018, third Test: Player Ratings

After losing the series 2-0, the Virat Kohli-led Indian team bounced back in the best possible manner and beat South Africa by 63 runs in the third and final Test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.

After choosing to bat first, India managed to score 187 runs in their first innings on a seaming track and the hosts replied with 194 runs in their first essay, which gave them a lead of seven runs. The World number one Test side showed why they are at the top of the rankings, displaying a lot of grit and determination to post a total of 247 and set the Proteas a target of 241 to win.

Mohammed Shami sent back Aiden Markram late on day three before the play ended in a controversial manner. When the play resumed on day four, opener Dean Elgar and Hashim Amla held fort and frustrated the Indian bowlers by batting through the first session.

Both of them reached their individual fifties before Amla was dismissed for 52, thanks to a brilliant catch by Hardik Pandya. Soon after, AB de Villiers was sent back to the pavilion by Jasprit Bumrah and that got India back in the game. Faf du Plessis and Quinton de Kock followed suit and that almost sealed the match in favour of India.

Shami came back and wrapped up the tail in no time and consolidated India's unbeaten record at Johannesburg. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was named the Man of the Match while Vernon Philander was adjudged the Player of the Series.

Let us take a look at the performances of the Indian players on a scale of 0 to 10.

Murali Vijay 8/10

It is safe to say that THE OLD MONK IS BACK. After chasing deliveries outside the off-stump that led to his dismissal in three out of the four innings before the start of the Test, a lot was expected of the opener in the third match. But, he committed the same mistake again in the first innings as he got out cheaply trying to poke at a ball that was full and wide.

In the second innings, he redeemed himself and made sure that he played his most effective shot that he had used when India toured overseas in the past, ie. no shot. He made sure that India didn't lose their way in the second innings and faced 127 balls and scored 25 before he was castled by a yorker by Kagiso Rabada.

KL Rahul 5/10

This was a forgettable match for KL Rahul as he got out for a duck in the first innings and in the second innings, managed to score just 16.

Cheteshwar Pujara 8/10

If not for Pujara's 50 off 179 balls in the first innings, India could have been dismissed for less than 120. The right-hander showed a great level of patience and played a gritty knock to save India from getting all out for a low score. In the second innings, he was unfortunate to get out to an unplayable delivery from Morne Morkel.

Virat Kohli 9.5/10

Among the 22 players who played in this match, only one man looked comfortable on both the occasions. In the first innings, he scored 54 and in the second, he scored 41 off 79 balls on a wicket that was giving a stern test to the batsmen. Adding to this, he was spot-on with his captaincy when it came to picking the playing XI - something that he didn't do in the first two matches - rotating his bowlers and his field placements.

Ajinkya Rahane 8/10

After being dropped for the first two Tests, Ajinkya Rahane had a point to prove when he took the field. Unfortunately, he got out early in the first innings but in the second innings, he was very instrumental in India setting a target of 241. He launched a counter-attack on a difficult pitch and scored 48 off 68 balls. Though he missed his half-century by two runs, his knock was as impactful as a century on another day.

Parthiv Patel 6/10

After failing with the bat in the first innings, Parthiv Patel was brilliant behind the stumps as he effected four catches and added one more to his tally in the second innings before he left the field due to a finger injury.

He opened the batting in the second innings and got India off to a flying start before his cameo was ended by Philander. But, that set the tone for India in the second innings.

Hardik Pandya 3/10

Hardik Pandya threw away his wicket twice in the match and managed to score just four runs. He hardly bowled in the Test but manages to get a rating of three, thanks to his catches to dismiss Hashim Amla in both the innings.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar 10/10

63 runs with the bat where even quality batsmen struggled and four wickets with the ball in the match earned Bhuvneshwar Kumar the Man of the Match award.

Jasprit Bumrah 9.5/10

Jasprit Bumrah had a memorable match at the Wanderers as he registered his first five-wicket haul in Tests in the first innings and that was instrumental in restricting the hosts to a lead of just seven. In the second innings, he dismissed AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock to turn the game in favour of India.

Mohammed Shami 8/10

Though Mohammed Shami picked up a five-wicket haul in the second innings, he was very inconsistent with the ball earlier and gave away easy runs in the first innings.

Ishant Sharma 8/10

The most experienced bowler in the Indian side, Ishant Sharma, might not have picked many wickets in the match but his contribution was very crucial in keeping the Proteas under pressure and the other bowlers reaped its benefits. He ended the match with figures of 3/64 in 30 overs.