SA giddy over Ngidi
NGIDI: PROTEAS CAPTAIN SALUTES ‘MATURE’ DEBUTANT
Faf delighted to floor Indian team in conditions foreign to what South Africa is used to at home.
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said he took a huge amount of pleasure out of their victory by 135 runs in the second Test against India at Centurion yesterday, in conditions he described as alien to the home side but very familiar to the tourists.
“That was extremely special, I take a lot of pleasure out of a win like this. The previous game was on fast-forward but this one was the complete opposite – it was a lot of grind and hard work, you had to push for longer, and that’s what makes it so special.
“We had to show a lot of heart and character in conditions that were not what we like, but we responded with huge character. In general, everyone chipped in whereas we feel India are very reliant on Virat Kohli, and the bowlers bowled in fantastic areas, with a bit more pace than them,” Du Plessis said.
Du Plessis said he was extremely impressed with debutant fast bowler Lungi Ngidi, who routed India for 151 on the last day with six for 39.
“It spoke volumes for his maturity, that he has a very mature head on his shoulders and he did not see his first Test match as being too big an occasion. He was really clam and he just wanted to bowl, and his control really impressed me for a 21-year-old. It’s incredibly pleasing to see him slot right into Test cricket and it augurs very well for his future as a Test bowler,” Du Plessis said.
Indian captain Kohli was at something of a loss to explain why the tourists were so poor, but he was forthright in his praise of the South African side
and in his acceptance that the better team has won the series.
“We didn’t come here to play the way we have and we need to be hard on ourselves and ask if we are all giving 120%. We need to lay it out in the open and be honest, unless we speak about this there won’t be much chance of us improving.
“We didn’t have that attention to detail at important stages. It’s no good feeling when you come into a match if you are then not able to execute. We will identify all areas that need improvement and the loss obviously hurts, but South Africa deserve to win the series,” Kohli said.