India vs South Africa: 3 observations from Day 4 at Cape Town

Heading into Day 4, South Africa needed 112 runs to win the match and clinch the series. They were in the driver's seat but a couple of quick wickets early in the day for India could have changed the complexion of the match completely.

Keegan Petersen and Rassie van der Dussen not only kept the Indian attack at bay but also kept the scoring at a good rate.

It was a rather unlucky morning for the Indian bowlers as both Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami kept beating the bat but could not extract the edge. Keegan. It ended up being an easy win for the hosts as they clinched the match by seven wickets.

Here are some key observations from Day 4 of the 3rd India vs South Africa Test.

#1 A game of small margins

Shami was sensational for India

Both Shami and Bumrah went past the outside edge multiple times in the first hour but could never get the edge. When Jasprit Bumrah eventually crafted an opportunity, Cheteshwar Pujara grassed the chance at first slip.

There were also a number of DRS calls that did not go in India's favor. The Indian side were clearly flustered by these calls as the runs kept flowing and there was no sense of control.

Failing to apply pressure through the first session, Virat Kohli's team never managed to string together maidens. It was yet another opportunity lost for India as they were favorites to win this series.

---

#2 No support for Bumrah and Shami

Shardul bowled well in patches

Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami were relentless in the first half an hour but they did not get any assistance from the other bowlers. Umesh Yadav kept leaking runs and Shardul Thakur, despite bowling well in patches, proved to be expensive.

On a fourth-day pitch, there was some assistance on offer for R Ashwin, but he too could never get in the game and dictate terms. The South African batters took calculated risks against the India off-spinner and Virat Kohli was forced to bring back Shami and Bumrah.

India did not have too many runs to play with and the lack of support from their bowlers ended up costing them the match. Virat Kohli said at the end of the match:

"People talk about pace and bounce, considering their heights, they were able to get much more off the wickets in all three Tests. They applied pressure long enough for us to make mistakes."

---

#3 Tremendous application by the South Africa middle-order

Keegan Petersen bagged the Man of the Series award.

In many ways, the series was decided by the performance of the middle-orders of both sides. India's middle-order was blown away by South Africa's pace battery on different occasions in the series. However, the young batting order of the hosts showed tremendous application and never allowed the pressure to get to them.

Keegan Petersen showed he belonged at this level and after a tough series, Rassie van der Dussen gutted out an important innings as well. Temba Bavuma saw out the chase with clinical precision to seal the match for his side.