India are up to second in the Test world rankings after they wrapped up a comprehensive series victory over South Africa with a dominant win in the fourth and final Test in Delhi.
Virat Kohil's side beat the tourists by 337 runs after Ravichandran Ashwin and Umesh Yadav combined to dismiss South Africa for just 143 in their second innings.
South Africa began day five on 72 for 2, needing to bat all day to secure an unlikely draw. Captain Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers continued to frustrate India's bowlers early on as they blocked ball after ball. But the breakthrough finally came in the 13th over when Ravindra Jadeja clipped the top of Amla's off stump to end the skipper's resistance.
That brought Faf du Plessis to the crease, and he was just as dogged as his captain, taking 53 balls to get off the mark. He survived until after lunch, when Jadeja struck again, trapping him LBW to end his two-hour innings and leave South Africa on 111-4.
JP Duminy came and went for nought thanks to Ashwin, but de Villiers and Dane Vilas remained defiant to ensure the tourists took the day into the final session.
Yadav struck immediately after tea to remove Vilas for 13, but it was Ashwin who took the crucial wicket of de Villiers. The South Africa talisman was dismissed for 43 thanks to a catch at leg slip from Jadeja after a marathon 297 ball-innings.
With de Villiers gone and South Africa rocking on 136-7, India's bowling attack made short work of the lower order. Kyle Abbott, Dane Piedt and Morne Morkel added just seven more runs before the match was over. Ashwin took the final wicket of the day to finish with figures of 5-61 and secure a 3-0 series win for the hosts.
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