Twitter Reactions: Keshav Maharaj’s hat-trick gives South Africa 2-0 series win against West Indies

The second Test between West Indies and South Africa was poised for an exciting finish with the hosts needing 309 runs in the final day with all their wickets intact. However, the Proteas held their nerves and won the game by 158 runs, and also sealed the series 2-0. For the home team, the batters couldn’t survive the heat at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet in St Lucia.

Maharaj steps in

Kraigg Brathwaite’s disastrous series with the bat came to an end after Kagiso Rabada found his outside edge in the third over of the day. Shai Hope became Rabada’s second victim soon after. Kieran Powell and Kyle Mayers tried to restore sanity with a 64-run stand for the third wicket before Rabada got rid of the latter. Powell, meanwhile, looked determined and scored a fifty off 108 balls.

Thereafter, Keshav Maharaj ripped the heart out of the West Indies batting unit. The left-arm spinner picked up a hat-trick and reduced the hosts from 107 for three to 107 for six. To start with, he accounted for the well-set Powell. He then found Jason Holder’s inside edge and Keegan Peterson took a decent catch at short leg. Joshua de Silva became Maharaj’s third victim.

Proteas romp home

Jermaine Blackwood’s 25 and Kemar Roach’s 27 kept the Proteas at bay for a while, but it was only momentary. The duo put on 40 runs for the seventh wicket to raise some hopes for the Caribbean team to pull off at least a draw. Lungi Ngidi broke the partnership after he found Blackwood’s outside edge, caught by Quinton de Kock. The last two wickets didn’t take time in going down.

Maharaj, following his hat-trick, came back to pick up a five-wicket haul after he dismissed Roach and Jayden Seales. It was the seventh fifer of the tweaker’s Test career. However, it was Rabada, who got the Player of the Match award as he notched 61 runs and picked up five wickets in the game. Roston Chase didn’t come out to bat in the second innings after sustaining a quad injury.

Here’s how the netizens reacted to South Africa’s win:

The celebration by Kesh, KG and Ngidi 😍💚 #hattrick #WIvSA pic.twitter.com/YgQ2pnksVa

— EEMS (@NaeemahBenjamin) June 21, 2021

In my lifetime I haven't seen Brazil or the West Indies be good teams. Sad really, feel like I've missed a lot of cricket and football heritage

— 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (@neeIabjo1103) June 22, 2021

Keshav Maharaj the South African spinner takes a hat trick with a five wicket haul as South Africa beat West Indies by 158 runs.

— HB🇮🇳 (@DelhiMuse) June 22, 2021

5-fer and Hat-trick for Keshav Maharaj in this Second Test match against West Indies in 4th innings. Brilliant bowling. His bowling figure in this match 47/2 and 36/5. He picked 7 wickets in this match & help to win SA 2-0 in this series. Well bowled, Keshav Maharaj. #WIvsSA pic.twitter.com/N0RIUGBiEm

— Rockstar (@imabhimalhotra) June 22, 2021

#savwi South Africa clean swept the test series v West Indies 2 nil giving the new captain Elgar his maiden series win. Keshav Maharaj hat trick was the main feature & his 5 wkt haul, the first 5 wkt haul by a South African spinner v West Indies.

— Ram (@ram574) June 22, 2021

I swear laughing at West Indies cricket is a hobby for me…cause yah don't got nain better to do than laugh

— theoriginalprovie (@theoriginalpro2) June 22, 2021

Was the pitch the problem, so the SA team played on the same pitch as WI? Or were the South Africans too good for West Indies? I don’t think so. Something just did not click for WI. We need people stand up in difficult times. https://t.co/LuLKP5dpVU

— T. D. MATT (@TDMatthewM) June 22, 2021

Not the result West Indian fans wanted. Let us learn and move forward to the T20's and ODI's. #WIvSA #WIvsSA 🏏🌴

— Sly (@Sly1036) June 21, 2021

This is very embarrassing as a West Indian. The players should be emabarras of them selves and should come out to the west indies public with an apology. How do they want we (west indian) to go out to watch them? This is not test cricket this is an embarrassment

— Edgar (@Edgar01355363) June 21, 2021