Unusual dismissal secures series sweep for India

India took just nine minutes on day four to wrap up the third and final Test against South Africa and complete a first-ever 3-0 series whitewash over the Proteas with an innings and 202-run victory.

Resuming at 8-132 in their second innings, South Africa added one run off 10 balls before debutant Shahbaz Nadeem took the final two wickets off consecutive deliveries to give India a record victory over South Africa.

In the second over of the day, Nadeem (2-18) had concussion substitute batsman Theunis de Bruyn (30) caught behind. Next ball, he caught Lungi Ngidi in a bizarre fashion as the right-hander's firmly-struck drive clattered into the wrist of non-striker Anrich Nortje and ballooned up for Nadeem to take the catch.

Nortje was in obvious pain immediately after being struck, but soon recovered as both sides shook hands at the end of the match.

Umesh Yadav finished with 3-40, while Mohammed Shami (2-22) and Ravindra Jadeja (2-19) picked up two wickets each.

It was South Africa's joint third-biggest innings' defeat in Test cricket, and second consecutive loss by more than an innings. The last time South Africa lost two consecutive Tests by an innings margin was against Australia in 1935-36.

"The whole team had (an) amazing mindset throughout," said Indian skipper Virat Kohli.

"It has been a brilliant series for us. To be the best side in the world, you need to be multi-dimensional.

"Spin was always an asset for us and batting was never a problem. Fast bowling was very good and we held our catches well. It's great to operate in such a manner."

India scored 9(dec)-497 in their first innings, on the back of Rohit Sharma's 212, his maiden Test double hundred, and Ajinkya Rahane's century as part of a record 267-run fourth-wicket partnership.

Rohit finished with 529 runs in the series, with three hundreds. It was the highest aggregate for an Indian batsman against South Africa in a Test series.

South Africa were then bowled out for 162 with India, for the second consecutive Test, enforcing the follow-on.

The tourists’ slim hopes of salvaging anything from this series were effectively dashed as India's seamers again dismantled its batting order to have the Proteas at 8-132 when bad light stopped play on Monday.

"Be it in batting, bowling or even fielding, we were dominated across the series," said Proteas' skipper Faf du Plessis.

"The mindset was to be prepared for the spin attack. But the pitches were fantastic and India's seamers were outstanding throughout the series."

India won the first Test in Visakhapatnam by 203 runs, before victory by an innings and 167 runs in the second Test in Pune gave them an insurmountable 2-0 lead in the series.

They've also won five from five Tests in the new World Test Championship to lead the standings on 240 points, with New Zealand and Sri Lanka - who have played just two Tests each in that time - in equal-second on 60 points.