South Africa clinched a sensational Test series win at home after crushing India by seven wickets in the third Test match. The Dean Elgar-led side lost the series opener by 113 runs but chased down 240 to level the series in Johannesburg. In the decider, Keegan Petersen and the fast bowlers combined to help the Proteas seal a memorable win.
From Petersen’s staggering fantasy points tally to a Shardul Thakur special at the Wanderers Stadium, we take a look at five fantasy cricket talking points from the thrilling three-match series.
Sensational Petersen
With three half-centuries in six innings, Petersen finished as the top run-scorer in the series. The 28-year-old, who won the player of the series award, made 135 points and 209 points in the second and third Tests, respectively. He also grabbed 64 points from catches, which included a stunning effort to dismiss Cheteshwar Pujara on the third day of the final Test match.
Prolific pace duo
Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada delivered massive returns for fantasy cricket players. The duo, who shared 39 wickets in the series, managed to register 100-plus points in all three Test matches. Jansen topped the fantasy points chart with 413 points, while Rabada, too, amassed more than 400 points.
Shardul’s all-round show
Shardul Thakur produced a scintillating all-round performance in the second Test match. A seven-wicket haul in the first innings, the best bowling figures in Tests by an Indian player against South Africa, and a crucial 28 with the bat in the second saw him score 175 points in the match. He also topped the fantasy points charts among Indian bowlers with 286 points.
Spinners struggle
Both Ravichandran Ashwin and Keshav Maharaj had a tough outing in the seamer-friendly conditions. The Indian spinner's biggest contribution was with the bat, scoring a vital 46 in the first innings of the second Test. Meanwhile, Maharaj claimed only one wicket in the series but eked out 77 batting points.
Rock-solid Elgar
Elgar played a match-winning 96* in the second Test match and put on a crucial 78-run stand with Petersen in Cape Town. The left-handed batter piled up 316 points, with most of it coming in the fourth innings. Elgar’s teammate Temba Bavuma featured in the top fantasy XI of all three Test matches. He registered a total of 299 points.
South Africa vs India Test series Top Fantasy XI: M Jansen (413 pts), K Petersen (402 pts), K Rabada (402 pts), R Pant (332 pts), D Elgar (316 pts), T Bavuma (299 pts), K L Rahul (294 pts), S Thakur (286 pts), M Shami (281 pts), L Ngidi (271 pts), J Bumrah (265 pts)
Parameswaran Sankaranarayanan
Parameswaran Sankaranarayan is a sports enthusiast who has worked in print, website, and other digital platforms. He was part of the editorial team of first-ever Indian football-based website - IndianFootball.com (now defunct) - and passionately follows the latest happenings in world football. During his time as a journalist, he had the opportunity to interact with some of the iconic personalities in Indian sports and witness some memorable moments in Indian football.
Read All Articles >
