It all seemed to be over. Some three hours had passed after Lungi Ngidi ripped through the Indian middle order to complete a series clinching 135-run win for South Africa and leave Virat Kohli irritated, searching for answers to hard-hitting questions in the post-match conference. In the South African camp though, it was far from over, they were not done celebrating.
They all stayed back in the dressing room as if to show the world what it meant to the team. Just after the match got over, captain Faf Du Plessis and coach Ottis Gibson had a brief chat with the players followed by an occasional cheer or two to mark their series win. But that was not all.
At around 3.30 pm local time, more than three hours after Bumrah was the last man out, the South African cricketers gathered inside the ground.
Du Plesis' and his boys made a huddle on the pitch and sang their victory song aloud. Interestingly, the pitch remained a cause of concern for the hosts, du Plesis did not miss a chance to send a reminder even after winning the match.
"The conditions weren’t the conditions we would have liked, but the conditions were there and we still need to win. And I thought we did brilliantly. The pitch suited India more than us, we adapted really well and we fought every hour to get ahead in the game. It is very pleasing sitting here 2-0 up," said du Plessis on Wednesday.
It was significant that the South African side chose the middle of the pitch to celebrate their victory. It was more than a celebration; it was a polite annoucement stating South Africa is perhaps ready to take on India and the rest of the world under any scenario, under any condition.