‘It wasn't a very good last 40-50 overs with the ball, not a good 45 overs with the bat’
South Africa coach Russell Domingo admitted that his team fell apart whenever the Indians applied the pressure on them during the ongoing Test series.
It was yet another pathetic batting show by the South Africans as they were bowled out for 121 in 49.3 overs, in reply to India's first innings score of 334.
"Once we've been put under pressure we've fallen away badly, and they haven't. Their lower order and their middle order have fought back, and have managed to give them good scores, and we haven't been able to do that. We didn't bat very well this afternoon and we have a lot of thinking to do. It just wasn't good enough as a performance," said Domingo, critical of his team's show in the four-Test series.
"It may have started late yesterday when we had them 139 or six. At 139 for six, you are very much in the game. They had some strong partnerships at the back end. We missed a few chances, and a few decisions didn't go our way. So it wasn't a very good last 40-50 overs with the ball. And not a good 45 overs with the bat today.
"There's no dead rubber when you play international cricket, and the players were all keen to play good cricket, which we haven't done in the last few weeks. It has been a long tour, but that is no excuse. There is a lot of pride in that change-room, and a lot of hurt players after than performance that we put up today," a dejected Domingo added.
The coach said some of the soft dismissals did hurt them.
"There were a few dismissals that could be deemed as a bit soft, but a good few were from very good bowling, if you think of Dane Vilas dismissals and Temba Bavuma. So it is a bit of both, and we have to give credit to India's spinners because they have bowled well throughout the series, but we also have to take responsibility for some very soft dismissals."
Well aware that only a miracle can save them from defeat now, Domingo put up a brave front.
"You've got to keep believing. Cricket is a strange game, though you may be foolish for putting money on South Africa to win this game, if we can do something special with the ball, bowl them out for 120, and chase 320, then we are in the game.
“We know we are a long way behind, but we are optimistic, because cricket is a funny game."
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