India consolidate top position in the World Test Championship

PUNE: India beat South Africa by an innings and 137 runs in the second Test in Pune on Sunday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

It was India‘s record 11th Test series victory on home soil, beating Australia’s 10 on the trot. The final Test is in Ranchi starting October 19.

The overwhelming victory, coming on the fourth day, also consolidated India‘s number-one position in the world Test championship.

India now have 200 points, which is 140 points away from nearest-rival New Zealand.

Skipper Virat Kohli set up the win with his unbeaten 254 — a record seventh double-century for the star batsman — in India‘s 601 for five declared.

Ravichandran Ashwin struck twice in the morning session after the tourists started their second innings trailing by 326.

India beat South Africa in 2nd Test by a massive margin in Pune. Photo: AFP

Kohli 1st India skipper

Virat Kohli became the first Indian captain to enforce a follow-on against South Africa.

Kohli’s charges took to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match Test series with this win on Sunday. In the process, they created a world record by clinching their 11th successive series at home.

Kohli scored a record-breaking double hundred, which was his career-best Test score, while the bowlers fired in unison as India outmuscled South Africa in every department.

Final Scoreboard

The final scoreboard on day four of the second Test between India and South Africa in Pune on Sunday:

India 1st innings 601-5 (V. Kohli 254 not out, K. Rabada 3-93)

South Africa 1st innings 275 (K. Maharaj 72, F. du Plessis 64; R. Ashwin 4-69)

South Africa 2nd innings (follow-on)

A. Markram lbw b I. Sharma         0

D. Elgar c Yadav b Ashwin         48

T. de Bruyn c Saha b Yadav         8

F. du Plessis c Saha b Ashwin      5

T. Bavuma c Rahane b Jadeja       38

Q. de Kock b Jadeja                5

S. Muthusamy c Sharma b Shami      9

V. Philander c Saha b Yadav       37

K. Maharaj lbw b Jadeja           22

K. Rabada c R. Sharma b Yadav      4

A. Nortje not out                  0

Extras (b8, lb3, w2)              13

Total (all out, 67.2 overs)      189

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Markram), 2-21 (de Bruyn), 3-70 (du Plessis), 4-71 (Elgar), 5-79 (de Kock), 6-125 (Bavuma), 7-129 (Muthusamy), 8-185 (Philander), 9-189 (Rabada), 10-189 (Maharaj)

Bowling: Sharma 5-2-17-1, Yadav 8-3-22-3, Shami 9-2-34-1 (w2), Ashwin 21-6-45-2, Jadeja 21.2-4-52-3, R. Sharma 2-0-4-0, Kohli 1-0-4-0

Toss: India

Result: India won by an innings and 137 runs

Series: India lead the three-match series 2-0

Umpires: Chris Gaffaney (NZL), Nigel Llong (ENG)

TV Umpire: Richard Illingworth (ENG)

Match referee: Sir Richie Richardson (WIS)