*Drumrolls* we are four days away as we countdown to the World Test Championship 2023 final

Our third chapter of Road to the WTC Final 2023, well, could have been a happier one. We again fell short in our attempt to win a maiden Test series in South Africa since 1992/93. HOW? We summarise it here.

The 1st Test | Centurion - India win

Let’s start with the positive, though. We ended 2021 on a winning note, handing the Proteas only their third ever loss at the Centurion. KL Rahul (123) and Mayank Agarwal (60) pivoted India to 327 in the first innings whilst withstanding the bowling assault of Lungi Ngidi (6/71).

Mohammed Shami’s electric spell (5/44) made it uneasy for Dean Elgar and Co. to bat. The home side could only muster 197, with Temba Bavuma (52) the top run-getter.

Did they try to force a comeback? Well, they did ‘attempt’. Four wickets from Kagiso Rabada (4/42) and Marco Jansen (4/55) helped South Africa bowl India out for 174 and get a target of 305. SA skipper Elgar (77) was the sole firefighter in the run-chase, given the fiery bowling spells of Jasprit Bumrah (3/50) and Shami (3/63) swept away the Proteas for 191 in 68 overs and gave India a victory by 113 runs.

The 2nd Test | Johannesburg - South Africa win

And, here is where India’s momentum got lost. Carrying their form in the previous Test, Marco Jansen (4/31) and Kagiso Rabada (3/64) skittled out India for 202 in the first innings. Shardul Thakur broke through South Africa’s batting order with his 7/61, just as Keegan Petersen (62) and Bavuma (51) tried to push for an advantage with the bat.

What’s next? Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane’s half-tons powered India to see off three-wicket onslaughts from Rabada, Jansen and Lungi Ngidi to 266 and ask the home side to chase 240.

The target, in hindsight, seemed no problem for Dean Elgar as his unbeaten 96 was the impetus for South Africa to score 243/3 and draw the series level at 1-1.

The 3rd Test | Johannesburg - South Africa win

The one that got away. After an early setback, Virat Kohli injected confidence into the batting with his 79, but it wasn’t enough. Kagiso Rabada’s 4/73 engineered South Africa’s dismissal of India for 223 in the first innings.

Like SA in the first innings, however, India managed to bowl out the hosts for 210 thanks to Jasprit Bumrah’s 5/42. Rishabh Pant, with just 86 runs in the series so far, found his rhythm to hit a deserving 100 - one that made him the first Asian wicket-keeper to smash three Test centuries in SENA Countries and the first Asian wicketkeeper-batsman to hit a Test hundred on South Africa soil.

But, sadly, it was on the losing side of the contest. Why? Because Keegan Petersen’s 82 cancelled Pant’s effort as the Proteas chased 212 in 63.3 overs, with seven wickets in hand.