Shardul Thakur was the catalyst today as India captured the South African ODI series trophy, winning it emphatically 5-1. The 8 wicket win against South African in the final ODI today has wrapped up a wonderful series for the number one cricket team in the world.

To go to South Africa and win a One Day series is what no Indian cricket side has done till date.

Lets look at the winning sequence:

• India wins by 6 wickets with 4.3 overs remaining (270/4)
• India wins by 9 wickets with 29.3 overs remaining (119/1)
• India wins by 124 runs with South Africa wrapping up for 179 runs chasing India’s 303/6
• India loses to South Aftica (Duckworth Lewis method)
• India wins by 73 runs with South Africa wrapping up for 201 runs chasing India’s 274/7
• India wins by 8 wickets with 17.5 over remaining (204/2)

The above sequence spells marvel for India cricket and the India South Africa 2018 ODI series has witnessed a new balance in Indian Cricket history. It has always been the batsman most of the time who have stood out in Indian wins across its cricketing history.

However, this time it was a welcome and pleasant surprise as the Indian bowlers performed in the most unlikely platforms, that of South African wickets. Both the seamers and more so the spinners contributed in ripping the South African cricketing side apart from. Two of the young spinners with this being their first visit to the South African pitches.

Virat Kohli: 3 hundreds, 551 runs in the series – VIRAT KOHLI (Man of the final match and Man of the Series). “Its all about being the correct zone with positive people all around you”, is what the winning captain said in his post match interview. “No bigger honour than captaining the Indian side and giving it the status it deserves”, he added.

Clever bowling by the Indian feeders is what the audience witnessed and the following figures speak for themselves as Indian bowling performs on foreign soil – as foreign as South African pitches:

Yuzvendra Chahal:

• 2 wickets @ 4.5 economy rate
• 5 wickets @ 2.64 economy rate
• 4 wickets @ 5.11 economy rate
• 2 wickets @ 4.6 economy rate

Kuldeep Yadav:

• 3 wickets @ 3.4 economy rate
• 3 wickets @ 3.33 economy rate
• 4 wickets @ 2.56 economy rate
• 4 wickets @ 5.70 economy rate

Shardul Thakur: 4 wickets @ 5.89 economy rate (6th ODI)

The big game changers for India have been the bowlers, with Bumrah and the spinners leading from the front and enabling to set up platforms for the champions of the bat to perform and add runs, fifties and centuries to their kitty.

Hats off to the Indian cricket team – with the Dronacharya standing behind the stumps, telling the bowlers what to do, batsmen by batsmen.