Captain Faf du Plessis is determined to not just go through the motions during this week’s third and final Test against India in Ranchi.

Arguably listless performances in the first Test in Visakhapatnam and Pune have seen the tourists conceded a 2-0 series deficit – and in danger of suffering a 3-0 whitewash in Ranchi.

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‘It’s important for us to understand that we have to fight our way out of these last two losses. We can’t expect things just to happen. They won’t happen, because India is a very powerful team at the moment,’ said Du Plessis.

‘It is tough. It is tough when you’re losing. For us, we’re very, very competitive people, so it does take a dent out of your confidence, but international sport is supposed to be hard, and the guys who’ve stayed at the top for a long time will tell you that it comes with ups and it comes with downs, personally and from a team point of view.’

The right-handed Du Plessis has struck two half-centuries this series, but hasn’t converted to three figures. Opener Dean Elgar and wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock, meanwhile, became South Africa’s first Test centurions in India in a decade during the series opener.

‘When I get to 50, I want to get a ton. The fact that I’ve done it, scored a 50, twice already this series, there’s no reason for me not to go on and get a big one, so that’s the challenge that I have for myself because I understand that 60s are not going to win Test matches for us,’ he added.

Photo: Gallo Images