Centurion: South African pacer Lungi Ngidi on Wednesday received Man of the Match award on his debut against number one ranked Test team.
The pacer took seven wickets in the match that included brilliant 6 for 39 in the second innings. The star studded Indian batting line-up collapsed in front of the debutant. Along with the match, the Proteas also won the series as they also took a 2-0 unassailable lead over the visitors in the 3-match Test series.
There were a lot of moments in the match to cherish about, but the 21-year-old feels that the wicket of the Indian skipper was his moment of joy.
"The moment for me I think was the captain’s wicket. That was a very special moment and I felt that I had worked hard and sort of figured out a game-plan of bowling towards him. So finally getting that really did mean a lot to me," Ngidi said
Playing on his home ground, Ngidi was cheered by the crowd throughout the game, in particular when he dismissed Kohli. He was also given a standing ovation after he ran through the India's line-up on day five.
Man of the Match on debut is something Ngidi has encountered before as well. In January 2017, the youngster on his T20 debut too received the Man of the Match award.
Ngidi is now the seventh Proteas pacer to achieve a five-wicket haul after Lance Klusener (8/62 vs India in 1996), Charles Langeveldt (5/46 vs England in 2005), Vernon Philander (5/15 vs Australia in 2011), Merchant de Lange (7/81 vs Sri Lanka in 2011) and Kyle Abbott (7/29 vs Pakistan in 2013).
"I'd love this to be a long career. I know many people talk about how injuries have affected me in the past, but I feel like this is a new start. In the past, I didn't know what I was doing, to be honest."Now I've sort of found my feet and I know which path I'm going down as a cricketer. I'd also like it to be one of the long careers and maybe go down on the honours board," Ngidi said.