The tourists were bowled out for 171 in their last over and South Africa reached 172 with 32 balls to spare, wrapping up a comfortable win that stood in contrast to their narrow victory in Friday`s first encounter in Cape Town.
De Villiers broke his own record for the fastest half-century by a South African in a T20 International, trimming the mark from 23 to 21 balls.
Together with Hashim Amla, he enjoyed a first-wicket partnership of 125 to effectively seal victory before he was caught out on the boundary. Amla finished unbeaten on 69.
England were their own worst enemies when Eoin Morgan ran out in-form batsman Alex Hales with the score on 61, but a 96-run partnership between the England captain and Jos Buttler had guided the tourists to 157-3 in the 17th over.
They fell apart, however, when they then lost their last seven wickets for just 14 runs to leave South Africa with a modest target to chase at a ground where high scoring is the norm.
Sunday’s match ended England’s 10-week tour where they won the four-match test series 2-1 but surrendered a 2-0 lead in the ODI series to lose 3-2, before being beaten in both T20 internationals.
Chasing a formidable total of 318 runs set by the visitors, hosts started off in great fashion as Quinton de Kock (135) and Hashim Amla (127) added massive 239-run partnership for the opening wicket.
The formidable platform was capitalised by the other Proteas batsmen and the hosts chased down the target with 22 balls remaining.
Earlier, Joe Root scored his seventh ODI century, studded with 10 fours and five sixes, after Eoin Morgan elected to bat first.
Root added 125 for the second wicket with opener Alex Hales (65) and 82 for the fifth with Ben Stokes (53) before unfortunately being run out in the 43rd over.
South African pacer Kyle Abbott took two for 50 and was the only South African bowler to keep an economy rate of under six an over for the hosts.
Under Morgan's captaincy, England are seeking to become the first touring team to win a test and ODI series in South Africa for 14 years.
With the debate on cricket pitches refusing to die down after the three-day finish in Mohali, South African off-spinner Simon Harmer echoed India's batting coach Sanjay Bangar's views by saying that Test match wickets are nowadays prepared to get results.
Nagpur: With the debate on cricket pitches refusing to die down after the three-day finish in Mohali, South African off-spinner Simon Harmer echoed India's batting coach Sanjay Bangar's views by saying that Test match wickets are nowadays prepared to get results.
"I don't think the wickets are prepared to last five full days. The reason behind the preparation of the wickets is to get a result.
"When the Indian team comes to South Africa, we are going to prepare wickets that suit our bowlers. So them playing one seamer, it's clear to see what sort of wicket they are preparing," said Harmer after day one of the third and penultimate Test here on Wednesday.
Harmer picked up 4 for 78 and, in tandem with fast bowler Morne Morkel (3-35), helped South Africa pack off India for a paltry first innings score of 215 in 78.2 overs. In reply the visitors were 11 for two in 9 overs.
Bangar had also defended the wicket prepared for the contest by saying that it was a result-oriented wicket, which was the same for both teams.
Harmer said he took some time before getting the right pace to bowl, which he said was a bit faster than normal.
"I found it difficult to adjust to the right pace. I think I was a bit slow at the beginning of my spell. I wouldn't say I was struggling to adjust to lines or lengths. I think pace on this wicket was vital. At the beginning of my spell, I was just sort of trying to find my feet.
"Obviously you can't bowl one pace the whole time. But I felt that the quicker pace there was a bit more bite off the wicket. You saw a few balls spit. As a spinner that is what you are looking for," said the off spinner who got rid of Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha and Amit Mishra.
"When you bowl too slowly, a batsman can adjust and go back easily. Ideally you want a batsman to commit to a shot and I felt the best way to do that was to bowl a quicker pace," he explained further.
Harmer said the first Test pitch at Mohali was of similar nature to this one here at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha.
"Mohali was much of the same and at the end of the day, there are three innings left. It is going to be the same for our batters and for both teams throughout the Test match. It is challenging conditions but that's what playing in the sub-continent is all about."
He said he came to know that he would play after being left out of the second rained out Test at Bengaluru on Sunday.
"On Sunday, it was still three days away. You wanted to give it some time. So Russell (Domingo) chatted to me late yesterday afternoon and told me that I was playing."
He explained that the key to bowling here is not to try too hard for success.
"As a spinner, bowling here, the seamers are going to reverse a bit. The spinners will come into the game. I think the biggest thing is not trying too hard and I think there were stages when I did, and that's when I started leaking runs. But its just about finding a rhythm, a line and length that works and the pace.
"It's about keeping the batsmen thinking the whole time with field placements, your speed. I think that's the biggest thing."
Morkel Morkel said the final call on playing Dale Steyn, who picked up 10 wickets in South Africa's innings win over India at Nagpur five years ago, would be taken by the team's medical staff.
Nagpur: Injured South Africa pacer Dale Steyn bowled for a short while in the nets, raising hopes of him being included in the playing XI in the third Test here against India, but his fast bowling partner Morne Morkel said the team is keeping its fingers crossed.
Morkel said that while it was pleasing to see Steyn bowling in the nets on Monday, his progress would be monitored and a final call on including him will be taken on the opening day morning of the third Test at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha here.
"Dale bowled this morning. It was a pleasing thing for us to see. Obviously groin is a tricky sort of injury. So I think we will keep monitoring and give him 9 am on Wednesday to decide," Morkel told reporters.
Morkel said the final call on playing Steyn, who picked up 10 wickets in South Africa's innings win over India at this venue five years ago, would be taken by the team's medical staff.
"I think it will be a medical call. You don't want to select a bowler who could break down and upset the combinations. It's a bit of a tough one, but I know medical staff will take the right call," he said.
"Dale is dying to get out there, do his things. Fingers crossed," he added.
On Steyn's back-up Marchant de Lange, Morkel said: "He can be quite tricky to face. He's been busy with one-day competitions at home. Of late he's not played much of four day cricket, (but) he knows what to do."
Down 0-1 in the four-Test series, Morkel said South Africa, as a No 1 ranked Test outfit, must deliver in the upcoming must-win game.
"We are the No 1 Test team in the world. The dressing room atmosphere is very positive. The first Test could not go our way, but we are starting fresh on Wednesday. We are hungry to go and deliver the goods. We speak that language in the change room.
There are a lot of good memories (about this venue where Proteas won by an innings in 2010), but you have to put those things aside and focus on disciplined cricket. One has to be mentally tough. We are the No 1 Test playing nation. We need to show that. Whatever conditions, people have to put up their hands and take it on," he said.
"It's been tricky. We have had injuries throughout the tour (Steyn and Vernon Philander, who have gone back and JP Duminy who has recovered from a palm injury). But there are no excuses for us. We need to come in and play. Hopefully, we will have five days of good Test cricket," Morkel added.
Morkel said that the team was aware of the spin-friendly pitch conditions here as well. "Coming here as a fast bowling unit we don't expect favours. We knew we were going to get turners. The way we prepared was the key for us. From a personal point of view it's just (about) bowling well and if we can keep the pressure on the batters."
He said the team had the option to playing a second frontline spinner. "Definitely that's an option. We have to see. We have Simon Harmer and Dane Piedt," he said.
The pacer felt that the Proteas batsmen are capable of doing much better against the Indian spin attack than they have done so far in the three innings in which the score has not crossed 220.
"Our top-order (batsmen) are quality players of spin. They have not got the starts, unfortunately. They are preparing very well and doing the rights things. I am pretty sure their time will come. It's a matter of sticking to plans and grinding it out and try and bat deep," he said.
Morkel hoped that the out-of-form captain Hashim Amla, who scored a double hundred at this venue for a winning cause five years ago, to come good.
"Hashim is a rock for us. He's hungry to score runs. He's been hitting a lot of balls. Hopefully, his time he will come in this Test match."
In fact, South Africa had won only one Test rubber in five visits to India, in 1999-00 under Hansie Cronje before the match-fix saga blew up.
Nagpur: An enviable nine-year overseas record of 10 Test series wins in 14 rubbers by South Africa is under serious threat by India when the two teams face-off in the third and penultimate game of the current series at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha here on Wednesday.
After the 0-2 reversal against Sri Lanka in 2006, South Africa have not lost a Test series away from home and the list includes two wins over mighty Australia in 2008-09 and 2012-13, other than victories in one rubber each over England (2008), West Indies 2010), New Zealand (2011-12), Pakistan (2007-08), Sri Lanka (2014), Bangladesh (2007-8) and Zimbabwe (2007-08).
Significantly in this period South Africa, who are trailing India by 0-1 with two Tests left in the current rubber, have not won in the latter's backyard on the two visits they had made prior to the ongoing one - in 2007-08 (Three-Test series) and 2009-10 (Two-game contest).
On both occasions, South Africa drew 1-1 with India. Their other drawn series encounters in the last nine years were against Pakistan (0-0) in the series played in the United Arab Emirates in 2010-11, against England in 2009-10 with the series drawn 1-1 and Bangladesh (0-0 draw in 2015).
In fact, South Africa had won only one Test rubber in five visits to India, in 1999-00 under Hansie Cronje before the match-fix saga blew up.
The Proteas lost in 1996-97 (1-2 in the three-Test series) and 2004-05 (0-1 in the two-Test encounter) before holding India to draws in 2007-08 and 2009-10.
If India surge to a win here on what promises to be a spin-aiding track, South Africa will be confined to their third series defeat in six Test rubbers on Indian soil.
There is no chance of life in the ongoing second Test between India and South Africa, says Hashim Amla’s brother, Ahmed.
Speaking exclusively over telephone from Durban, Hashim’s brother, who is also a cricketer with 128 First Class and 127 List A matches, said: “I would prefer it rains more in Bangalore on Wednesday and the play is washed out again".
The fourth day's play was also a washout on the third consecutive day.
"There is no possibility of a result in this match and playing tomorrow, even if God permits, makes no sense".
"Only South Africa could complete its innings and Indian batting is incomplete. I think "enough" cricket is played in this Test,” he said sarcastically.
"I don't know how the match can be made interesting on the last day. I wish both teams go ahead and look positive for the remaining two Tests. There is some cricket left in the series,” the 36-year-old Amla signed off.
There will be no free entry to the general public on the last day on Wednesday.
"Why should there be a free entry for all spectators. Only the children and students, as usual are permitted free,” Brijesh Patel, the honorary secretary, speaking from the KSCA Stadium, said.
There has been an insurance for this Test. However, having a day's play already done, the hosts are certainly at loss. The amount of insurance was not revealed.
South Africa’s Test skipper Hashim Amla also insisted that they will be looking to learn from their mistakes in the upcoming matches.
Mohali: Dismissing the notion that the Mohali pitch was a vicious turner, South African skipper Hashim Amla on Saturday said there were more dismissals in the match due to lack of spin than excess of it and his batsmen could have applied themselves better.
South Africa managed 184 and 109 in the first and second innings respectively in the 108-run loss and Amla admitted that lack of application led to the batting failure.
"The chat that we had in our meetings was that the ball wasn’t turning that much, actually. And I think a lot of dismissals actually in both teams, there were quite a few dismissals due to lack of turn more than due to excess of turn," Amla told reporters after conceding a 0-1 lead in the four match series.
"Sometimes those are the more difficult pitches to play on. In saying that, the chat was that the ball wasn't turning as much but there were a few errors in decision-making that kind of cost us a bit. We actually kept it as simple as possible, that it is not turning as much. If you get a good ball that turns, so be it,” he said.
"For a majority of the Test match, it was about trying to play the ball as straight as possible and if you manage to get a good one, so be it. I would agree that we could have applied ourselves a bit better. There were certain decisions that we made while batting that were not the right decisions," he said.
If the Indian spinner made a solid impact with Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Amit Mishra bagging 19 wickets then opposition spinners in Imran Tahir, Simon Harmer and Dean Elgar also made an impact. India were bundled out for 201 and 200 in the first and second innings respectively and Amla took out positives from the bowling performance.
"Throughout this match, even though it was such a short Test match, I think we managed to hold our own right until the last innings here. They could easily have got away from us; with about 250-plus or 300-plus to get in the last innings, it would have been exceptionally difficult. The way we bowled and the way we kind of applied ourselves in the field and in the first innings with the bat was very good. Just very disappointing that we didn’t manage to apply ourselves better and get closer to 200," he said.
Amla also insisted that they will be looking to learn from their mistakes in the upcoming matches. "As I said earlier, if you look at the game right until the last innings, I think we kind of did pretty well. Kept the game pretty close to us and almost gave us the chance to win. If the wickets are the same, then hopefully we don't make the same mistakes and win the game,” he added.
Amla attributed the poor batting effort to error in judgement. "I am putting it down to we made a few errors in judgement and nothing to look further than that. As a whole, we played exceptionally good cricket. I think other teams might have fell away a bit earlier in the Test match but we managed to hold the game and sadly we didn’t follow through in the last innings."
Crediting the Indian bowlers for their effort, he said, “Credit to India, they bowled well. 200 on that wicket was a challenging target. Probably 150-160 would have been a really good kind of game to set up. Going into the next Test, whatever we are dealt with, I think we have prepared amply enough, just a few mistakes we made unfortunately in this game which cost us the game," he said.
With Morne Morkel and JP Duminy missing out on the opening game due to their respective injuries, Dale Steyn’s groin strain that made him miss the second innings bowling is certainly a worry for the visitors. Amla admitted that Steyn’s absence is always a problem.
"Not having Dale obviously is a difficult one because he is the best fast bowler in the world and certainly in the sub-continent the most successful fast bowler. So it would have been great to have him but listen, whatever you are dealt with, you get dealt with.”
"Credit to Vernon (Philander) and KG (Kagiso Rabada), they did well and the spinners came good to restrict them to 200. So it is a blow not to have had Dale in the last innings and certainly missing Morne as well. Hopefully in the next Test, JP might be fit and a few dynamics might change of our team. And Dale might be fit to bowl again. So we will have to wait and see how it pans out with the injuries," he added.
Having been India's strike bowler in the Test series win in Sri Lanka, Ravichandran Ashwin, who bagged 20 wickets against the Island nation, will be key to the home team's chances with opposition players like Faf du Plessis and Dean Elgar acknowledging the in-form spinner's threat.
Mohali: Outwitted in both the T20 and the ODI cricket series, India will seek redemption in the Test format by trying to spin a web around the formidable South Africans in the four-match series starting here on Thursday.
India failed to make use of the home advantage in the limited-overs games while the South Africans displayed remarkable adaptability to emerge the better of the two teams so far.
In Thursday’s match, Virat Kohli's men would take the field without pace spearhead Ishant Sharma, who is serving a one-match ban for his aggressive outbursts during the away series against Sri Lanka.
Therefore, India will be relying heavily on their spin brigade to out-manoeuvre the potent opposition batting, which has been sublime to say the least.
With Ravindra Jadeja back in the mix of things, Kohli will be looking to go with three spinners at the PCA track, hoping to pose a threat to the visitors. Premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who missed the last four ODIs with a side strain he suffered in the opening game in Kanpur, seems to be fit and raring to go.
Having been India's strike bowler in the Test series win in Sri Lanka, Ashwin, who bagged 20 wickets against the Island nation, will be key to the home team's chances with opposition players like Faf du Plessis and Dean Elgar acknowledging the in-form spinner's threat.
Team Director Ravi Shastri though has asserted that even Amit Mishra and Jadeja, who has been in stellar form in the current Ranji season, will be crucial to the home side's fortunes.
Playing for Saurashtra, Jadeja, whose last Test appearance was against England last year, has bagged 38 wickets in four games to win back the selectors' trust. His left-arm slow bowling, combined with Mishra's leg-spin and Ashwin's offies could turn out to be the much-needed winning formula for the hosts on what seems to be a track that will favour the home team's strength.
On the batting front, India will be spoilt for choices on with Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma fighting it out for the top-order slots.
Speaking highly of Dhawan and his 187 against Australia at the same venue in 2013, Shastri said, "Getting runs at a venue in your last Test match, nothing like it. But the biggest mistake people make is that they mix Test and ODI form. Test match form he comes back at the back of two Test hundreds, so he is very much in form, he is hot. That 187 against Australia will certainly be in his mind, competition for places, nothing like it. It goes to show everyone is on his toes, nobody will rest on his heels. If you miss out somebody else will grab the opportunity. It's healthy," he said.
South Africa, on the other hand, will be a tad worried about the form of Hashim Amla, who takes over as captain for the Test format.
In contrast, ODI captain AB de Villiers, termed ‘Superman’ by former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar, seems to be in the form his life and his wicket will certainly be a prized scalp for the Indian camp.
South Africa rode on three ODI hundreds from their skipper to clinch the five-match series 3-2, while they won the three-game T20 rubber by a 2-0 margin.
Dean Elgar, Stiaan van Zyl and Faf du Plessis also add muscle to their batting while Temba Bavuma is expected to fill in the large shoes of Jean-Paul Duminy, who is still recovering from his hand injury picked during the third ODI.
The Proteas’ attack rests on the broad shoulders of speedster Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel while the spin force is led by the in-form Imran Tahir. Tahir is not unfamiliar with sub-continent tracks and after making an impression for Delhi Daredevils in the IPL, he has become South Africa's trump card on a turning wicket.
When the Proteas last visited India for a Test series in 2009-10, the rubber stood drawn at 1-1, but South Africa did get the better of the hosts way back in 1999-2000. The last series played between the two sides was won by hosts South Africa by a 1-0 margin in 2013-14.
Teams:
India: Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha (wkt), Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, R Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Lokesh Rahul, Stuart Binny, Varun Aaron.
South Africa: Hashim Amla (captain), AB de Villiers (vice-captain), Temba Bavuma, Jean-Paul Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Simon Harmer, Imran Tahir, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn, Stiaan van Zyl, Dane Vilas (wkt).
