Proteas rally for last push in final Test

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South Africa batsman Faf du Plessis says the squad can do nothing more than take their learnings on to the next match and to focus on the positives after a disappointing series loss.

The senior players have taken on the responsibility to inspire the spirits in the Proteas camp ahead of the final Test match against India in Delhi later this week.

With the series lost and the end of a long tour in sight, it will be important to focus all the energies on the last effort of the 72-day tour, which remains significant despite its academic relevance.

Du Plessis said: "I'm a senior player and I'm finding it tough because the conditions dictate the way you play and your performances. It's important for us to try and keep them (younger players) positive, and we've done that.

"I thought that Dane (Vilas) kept really well on a wicket with spin and bounce and with the ball sometimes keeping low. What we have to try and do is to focus on the positives.

"Coming and facing this in your first Test series abroad is a challenge. These have been the toughest conditions that I have played under, it’s also been a challenge for the young guys coming in.  

"It's a hard task for them because they get judged by playing Test cricket in these conditions where you have found that even our experienced players have found it tough. We have to keep motivating them and to keep the spirits high.

"The good thing about it is you can learn from this, improve your game, even I have learnt a lot about my game in the last few matches. I've concentrated on my defence against spin in the first 20 balls I face.

"In South Africa, Australia and New Zealand you can take your time, even if you aren't getting bad balls, but the surface here doesn't dictate what's going to happen. This is a huge learning curve for us and also something we can take forward."

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