In pursuit of 395-run target, the Proteas lost early wickets and were on the verge of losing the match by a margin of over 250 runs. Dane Piedt (56) and debutant Senuran Muthusamy (49*) though stitched together a 91-run stand for the ninth wicket and extended India's stay on the field. But their effort was overshadowed by Indian bowlers and they lost the match.
Following these stellar performances, bowling coach Bharat Arun stated that the speedsters in the team have the ability to reverse the ball on wickets which offer it, a reason for their success in Test cricket.
“South Africa batted exceptionally well in the first innings. In the second innings, there was assistance to Shami's kind of bowling. And then he came up with a magnificent spell,” Arun told reporters two days ahead of the second rubber here.
“It [Shami’s spell] put us back in the game. Otherwise given the conditions, it would have been very difficult. We were aware we needed to work really hard to get the result. On that wicket it needs lot of patience,” he added.
Asked about turning tracks testing the skill of the quicker bowlers, the Indian bowling coach heaped praise on his bowlers and domestic cricket for allowing them to learn the art.
“Our bowlers are skillful at reverse swing as when they play domestic cricket, wickets generally are flat. The outfield is also not at times great. For a bowler to be successful, he needs to learn how to reverse the ball and that's where our domestic cricket contributes a lot.”
Elaborating on why India's bowling battery is so successful, Arun said, “There is definitely a chance for the pacers on any track provided they have the necessary skills, and our fast bowlers have done extremely well over the last couple of years, abroad and at home.”