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Mohammad Shami captured five for 28 in the fourth innings to win the test against South Africa at Johannesburg to provide the sixth occasion of an Indian bowler capturing five or more wickets to win a test on away soil. All such occasions are tabulated below. Mohammad Shami became the first Indian bowler to perform the feat against South Africa in South Africa

India won the third test against South Africa at Johannesburg by 63 runs to provide its 46^th win on away soil. All such occasions are tabulated below

It also provides India’s third win against South Africa in South Africa and second at Johannesburg. All the three occasions are listed below.

JJ Bumrah returned with figures of 5 for 54 in this test to provide the 145th occasion of an Indian bowler capturing five or more wickets on away soil. It also provides the eleventh occasion of an Indian bowler capturing five or more wickets against South Africa on South African soil. All such occasions are tabulated below.

It also provides the fourth occasion of an Indian bowler capturing five or more wickets against South Africa at Johannesburg. All such occasions are tabulated below.

V Kohli {54}  and HM Amla {61} scored half centuries  in the ongoing third test at Johannesburg to provide the 100^th occasion of  rival batsmen batting at number  four  scoring  half centuries  in the first and  second innings of a test in the annals of  test cricket. It also provides the third such occasion in SA-Ind test series

The India captain said, “It’s definitely very different from the last game at Centurion. I would say it is similar to Cape Town but with a bit more grass, which we expected. It’s going to be a very lively wicket throughout the Test.”

Asked whether India would go in with an all-seam attack, Kohli responded: “the chances of anything happening are very bright. There is a lot of grass on the pitch, we would definitely look at that. Both teams would be thinking about those options.”

Kohli was not willing to look at lack of preparation for the setbacks here. “I personally don’t feel we didn’t feel prepared starting this series, I won’t sit here and point that out after losing a Test series.

“Our errors, our mistakes of not capitalising on situations has led to the series being 2-0,” he said.

Kohli said the players needed to take up individual responsibility to rectify small errors that have haunted India. “Although it’s a team game, each individual is doing his own thing at any given time.” On batsmen facing technical issues in the series, Kohli said, “Everyone has been spoken to individually, the discussions have been on ‘what went wrong, what happened, why it happened’ and the guys have taken it well.”

Looking at the positive from the series, “We have taken 40 wickets in the two Tests, we have not done that on many overseas tours, and that is a big boost.”

He admitted India needed to improve its fielding. “Fielding is obviously a big factor. They have fielded better, and it’s visible and not a question of having numbers attached to it.”

Kohli had fond memories of the pulse-pounding game the last time India played a Test at the Wanderers in 2013. “I think 2013 was a very exciting Test for everyone to be involved in. For both teams as well as the crowd, the last day being a really see-saw day.”

THE HINDU SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT IN JOHANNESBURG,

There is finally admission from the India camp they could have prepared better for the series in South Africa. After Virat Kohli, the captain, had said they came “very well prepared” into the first Test, coach Ravi Shastri said in the lead-up to the final Test that 10 more days of preparation in South Africa would have made a difference. Incidentally, there have been reports that the BCCI offered to send the Test specialists early to South Africa, but the team management shot the idea down.

“There was a thought [to send the Test specialists early] but then you are disjointed,” Shastri said. “Even as a team you are disjointed. Who is going to handle things here? Preparation wise or whatever. Those thoughts can be put out in hindsight. But, in hindsight, I would say the best thing would be, reach there two weeks earlier.”

India arrived in South Africa on December 28 and began training on December 30. Allowing for a holiday on January 1, India had a total of five days to prepare for the bouncier and seamier conditions before the first Test, but they chose not to train on the day before the Test. This is not the last overseas tour for India this year; these issues might crop up again, but Shastri said there will be steps taken on future tours to ensure the team gets the best preparation.

“Unfortunately the schedule was such that you had matches [on till a few days before the team left for South Africa],” Shastri said. “But I am sure henceforth, in the future, when itineraries are made, that will be taken into account, there is absolutely no doubt about that. You get there couple of weeks earlier and prepare.”

The team management, though, doesn’t seem to be in any mood to even consider the merits and demerits of their selections for the first two Tests, which have raised more than a few eyebrows. The most contentious selection has been that of Rohit Sharma ahead of Ajinkya Rahane. “That [debate] will always be the case,” Shastri said. “If Ajinkya had played first and not done well, you would have asked me the same question, why Rohit hasn’t played. Rohit played, he didn’t do well, you are asking me why Ajinkya didn’t play. The same would have happened with the fast bowlers. So when you have choices… the team management has discussed what is the best option and they stick by it, they go by it.”

Shastri was asked if the constant tinkering with the combination might have caused uncertainty in players’ minds. “Overseas, you go on current form and you go on conditions and you see which player can adapt to certain conditions quicker than the other,” Shastri said. “What are the overhead conditions for which bowler to play as opposed to what kind of track you will get, where you need a bowler with bounce or you need a bowler with swing. So that’s where the chopping and changing starts.”

This is India’s first tour outside Asia and the West Indies since the first week of 2015. The results so far threaten a repeat of the bad old days of Indian cricket. Even though India will retain the No. 1 ranking by a whisker even if they lose 3-0, questions are being asked if they indeed are the best Test team in the world. Shastri took to comparing India’s performance with that of other teams in India.

“We did [look like the No. 1 side],” Shastri said. “We had our moments in both Test matches, and we looked like the No.1 team when we bowled out South Africa for 130 [in the second innings in Cape Town]. When we closed the gap thanks to Virat’s brilliant innings [in Centurion], and had them two-down just 30 runs ahead, we looked like the No.1 team in overseas conditions. Not many teams look half that when they come to India.”

Except that Australia almost beat India in a series early last year, and Sri Lanka threatened to win a Test late last year. Except that since the start of 2011, India have won only one out of 24 Tests in South Africa, Australia, England and New Zealand.

One of the big differences between India at home and in these countries has been how India win the big moments and manage to find a way back into contests at home. Shastri put it down to conditions to begin with that India weren’t winning these big moments in South Africa.

“First of all overseas conditions,” Shastri said. “Conditions back home, we are familiar with. We shouldn’t be in positions back home where you have to fight back as far as I am concerned. We fought back, we did well. Here, conditions are different. In hindsight I would say another 10 days of practice here would have made a difference. But that’s no excuse. The pitch we play on, it’s the same for both sides, and I would rather focus on the 20 wickets we have taken. That has given us a chance in both Test matches to win games. If our top order can fire, it will be a good Test match.”

Earlier Kohli had talked about how the Cape Town Test finished in three days but “we are not going to complain about it”. Shastri took the topic a step ahead, saying now teams shouldn’t talk about Indian conditions if matches end even sooner. It was not mentioned though that the Centurion track was almost like one you might find in India, assisting spin on day one and with nearly not as much pace and bounce as South Africa would have liked.

“Well there is grass on the track and you expect that overseas,” Shastri said of the Wanderers track, where the third Test will be played. “We are not here to moan about the tracks because, like I said at the start, both teams play on the same surface. The good thing though is, people won’t crib and moan when matches in India get over in two-and-a-half days. Neither will they ask me, ‘What kind of track are you playing on?’ We are not here to complain, we have taken 20 wickets. When you take 20 wickets, you have a chance to win. If we had batted better, we might have won.”

Shastri said the team was looking forward to the challenge in Johannesburg. “We have had chances in both Test matches but we didn’t make the most of it,” Shastri said. “So when you believe you have a chance to win, then you look forward to a Test match. When you don’t believe you can win, you don’t look forward to a Test match, as simple as that.”

Sidharth Monga of espncricinfo.com in Johannesburg

The Indian team has been under fire in the series and coach Ravi Shastri was typically combative with his response during an interaction with the media here on Monday.

He said India would need to change the way it prepares for important overseas tours. “I am sure, in the future, when itineraries are made, preparation will be taken into account, there is absolutely no doubt about that. You have to get there a couple of weeks earlier and prepare.”

Asked about the controversies regarding the selection of the eleven in this series, he observed, “If Ajinkya [Rahane] had played first, and not done well, you would have asked me the same question, why Rohit [Sharma] hasn’t played. Rohit played, he didn’t do well, you are asking me why Ajinkya didn’t play. The same thing with the pacemen.”

Queried about India making too many changes, Shastri responded, “Chopping and changing overseas is easier. In India, you don’t need to chop and change because you know what the conditions are. Overseas, you go on current form and you go on conditions and you see which player can adapt to certain conditions quicker than the other.”

On India’s performance in the first two Tests, Shastri said, “We did have our moments in both Tests and we looked like the No. 1 team when we bowled out South Africa for 130 at Newlands, or when we closed the gap at Centurion, thanks to Virat’s brilliant innings and had them two-down with just around 30 ahead. Not many teams look half that when they come to India. We fought back, did well, but missed some important moments.”

Shastri said the way the Indian pacemen have fired in the series has been the biggest positive for him.

“I would rather focus on the 20 wickets we have taken. That gave us a chance to win in both Tests. If our top order can fire, it will be a good Test here.”

Dwelling on Cheteshwar Pujara’s run outs in both innings of the second Test, Shastri said, “It hurts a lot. As it is, the conditions are very tough, and on top of that, if someone gets run out, then you feel bad. They are schoolboy errors and have to be rectified. In tough conditions like these where there is not much difference between the two teams, you cannot afford to give away wickets like that. The boys have been told that.”

Talking about the grass on the Wanderers pitch, Shastri noted, “Well, there is grass on the track and you expect that overseas. We are not here to moan about the tracks because the pitch is the same for both sides. We are not here to complain.”

About India asking the curator to roll the practice pitches on Monday, Shastri said, “They were damp. I thought they might have watered it last night, it was a little spongy and two-paced. By rolling it, we wanted it to be a little harder.”

THE HINDU – SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT IN JOHANNESBURG