KHURRAM HABIB

PORTELIZABETH: It would have been tough to be in Virat Kohli’s shoes on Saturday evening after South Africa returned from the rain break to bat again in the fourth ODI at the Wanderers.

The India skipper had to wipe the wet ball as it was becoming difficult to grip, not only for the fielders but also for his wrist spinners, who had up until the fourth ODI run through the South Africa batting in every game.

India twice missed opportunities to dismiss David Miller. In the 18th over bowled by leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, the South African all-rounder, who had struggled in the series, was dropped by Shreyas Iyer in the deep. Three balls later the leggie trapped him in front but had overstepped. At that point, the hosts needed almost 100 runs from 10 overs with no specialist batsman left in the dugout.

Once Miller got those lives, he made India pay, hitting them, and along with newcomer Heinrich Klaasen, the wicketkeeper playing in only his second game, taking his team close to the finish line. Both were particularly severe on the spinners.

No wonder Virat Kohli was upset. “Our guys didn’t settle in the second half. No balls are fine lines,” he said of Chahal overstepping. “South Africa deserved to win, we didn’t.”

Dhawan said the wet outfield made it hard for the spinners, blaming it for the loss. However, despite the spinners getting thrashed by Miller and Klaasen, and later by Andile Phehlukwayo, Virat Kohli failed to call up Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, who both looked the best of the lot. Bumrah had gone for just over four an over while picking a wicket and had one over left. Bhuvneshwar, who went