Johannesburg - England captain Alastair Cook says the look in Stuart Broad's eyes before the South African second innings on Saturday suggested that he was about to deliver something special.
Broad took 6/17 at the Wanderers in Johannesburg as the Proteas crashed to 83 all out, defeat in the Test match as well as defeat in the four-match series.
Broad's performance immediately drew comparisons to his 8/15 against Australia at Trent Bridge that saw England regain the Ashes last year, and Cook says he always believed that Broad had another performance like that in him.
"It’s a privilege to captain him and when he gets on a role like that you just let him go," a visibly jubilant Cook said after his side's seven-wicket win on Saturday.
"He’s still pretty young, he’s still fresh. The look in his eyes this morning, I know it’s pretty clichéd to say it now after the event when he’s got a sixfer, he had the bit between his teeth and he steamed in after Trev (Trevor Bayliss) had a few harsh words for us after lunch."
Cook said that at lunch, with South Africa 16/0, England coach Trevor Bayliss had delivered a motivational team talk that had ruffled some feathers.
"He said that if we wanted to win the series then this was the time to grab this opportunity and luckily he (Broad) did it," said Cook.
"It was just a real realisation from a guy who doesn’t say too much that this was the time … 'if you want to win the series, then this is the opportunity'.
"It seemed to work, so well done Trevor."
England go into Friday's fourth Test in Pretoria with a 2-0 lead in the series.