India Break Down Stubborn South Africa Resistance To Win Despite Epic Innings From AB de Villiers

India have defeated South Africa by 337 runs in the fourth and final Test to win the series 3-0 at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium on Monday.

Chasing 481 for victory, South Africa resumed day five on 2-72 and folded for 143 soon after the tea break after some dour displays by their top order.

India’s field for Ravichandran Ashwin against AB de Villiers.Source:FOX SPORTS

AB de Villiers (43) top-scored for the visitors with an incredible 297-ball innings, while Ravichandran Ashwin (5-61) was the pick of the Indian bowlers in the second innings.

India had beaten South Africa inside three days both in Mohali and Nagpur either side of the rain-ruined second Test in Bangalore.

In the end his brave stand was in vain but de Villiers battled gamely after copping two painful blows in the one over from Umesh Yadav as the middle order started to crumble around him.

He lost Faf du Plessis (10 from 97 balls) and JP Duminy (0) early in the second session and it all happened rather quickly after that.

Having already seen off 199 balls for a resolute 26 runs, de Villiers was hit hard on his bottom hand by Yadav an over before lunch and required on field treatment.

Three balls on he was hit again, but de Villiers remained at the crease as South Africa slumped to 5-116 with just short of two sessions left to bat out for the draw.

India’s field for Ravichandran Ashwin against Faf du Plessis.Source:FOX SPORTS

Throughout the morning session India had resorted to some of the most attacking fields in recent memory as South Africa batted in the slowest way imaginable.

When the new ball became available, Indian captain Virat Kohli set field placements that would have left even Brendon McCullum and Michael Clarke blushing.

With Jadeja bowling from one end, getting the ball to turn away from the right handers, Kohli placed five men under the batsman’s nose, with all of them on the off-side, looking to tempt captain Hashim Amla and de Villiers into playing against the spin.

In the end the field had little to do with Amla’s downfall, with the South African captain bowled by Jadeja for 25 off 244 deliveries.

For Ashwin, Kohli used two different field settings, brining in a bat-pad, a leg slip, a short mid-on, a silly point, a silly gully and a first slip against AB de Villiers.

Against du Plessis the field was similar, with the only difference being a second leg slip and a regular mid-on rather than a short mid-on.