IND vs SA | We played the pressure moments pretty well, opines Mark Boucher

South Africa won the third Test of the three match series against India by seven wickets winning the series by 2-1. The hosts lost the opening Test and it was looking like the team was struggling for form after the series opener. However, they bounced back to win the remaining two fixture shattering the dream of visitors to earn a miden series win. 

"We knew we were going to get better as the series got along. It's never nice playing from behind and playing under pressure. But we played the pressure moments pretty well. We are not winning all of them but when we lose a session, we are not losing it badly and that keeps us in the game."

 "When we lost that first session in the first Test [India were 83/0 at lunch], we lost it so badly, we couldn't get back into the game although we did try very hard. We probably lost too much in one session,” he explained. 

“Pulling it back from there was a tribute to the leadership. It doesn't surprise me. Dean is that sort of character, and he led from the front. You've got Temba - same sort of fighter, same spirit. When you've got two leaders like that, the guys are going to follow them. Both of them stood up with regards to their own games.”

"A lot of people had written us off after day one of the Test series. To come back, after losing the first day badly, and win the second Test and this Test - after losing all three tosses - puts these things into perspective about where this team is and where the Indian team” he revealed.  

"They are probably the best Test team in world cricket. This is something our boys won't take for granted. There are a couple of youngsters who have come through really nicely and they'll take a lot of confidence from this win, and not only the win but getting ourselves into good positions and winning games where it was hard, hard Test cricket."

"When you're in the batting changeroom, the runs always seem a mile away. When you're in the fielding changeroom, you always feel like there are never quite enough," he stated.

"Getting through the first hour unscathed was very important; it just settled the changeroom. That first hour was exactly what we needed. I like the intensity the guys batted with. We went out saying we've got to look to score. As we saw in the second Test, once you start getting to 50, 60 required and you start upping the tempo, it's difficult as a bowling unit to slow the game down. It went according to plan today. It was a tense day but it's a day the guys will remember for how to win in tough situations."

"Keegan has always shown signs of the batting we're seeing right now. He just stuck to his guns. He is in a good position having a guy like Dean next to him who really does back him. Batting at No. 3, you've got to be tough, you've got to know your game, you've got to be technically sound,” he elaborated.

“Hopefully he gets better and better. It's a very tough position to bat in, in South Africa, in our conditions. The way he has come through in this series, I am lost for words. In a big series like this, against big players, he was man-of-the-series. It's fully deserved and I am very, very happy for him."

"We saw what he had in Pakistan [in January and February last year], he was with us in West Indies [in June and July]. It was just a matter of time before he came through. You can see the skillset that he's got. It's a variation that is hard to find in cricket these days,” he concluded.

“He didn't start off too well, but after that first day, we look at him now and everyone is looking saying what a find we've got. At 21, he has got a lot of cricket to learn. We've seen great signs with the bat as well. We've found a superstar in him as well, at a very young age.”