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Nortje on Proteas' Indian tour: It's not about a series loss

Cape Town - Proteas fast bowler Anrich Nortje insists that South Africa are still motivated despite losing the three-match Test series against India with a dead rubber still to play.

The Proteas were dismissed for 189 after following-on in the second Test to lose comprehensively by an innings and 137 runs in Pune.

Nortje, who made his Test debut in that match, failed to make an impact as recorded figures of 0/100.

"It was a great experience, obviously not the result we wanted... The main thing that I took out (from my first Test) is that you need to be a lot more consistent," he added.

Enoch Nkwe's charges have now lost four consecutive Test matches and are currently in their worst run in red-ball cricket since they lost five in a row in 2005/06.

However, Nortje believes that it's not about the series loss but more so on the World Championship.

"We're trying to focus on what we have to do and what is ahead of us," said Nortje on Wednesday.

"A win at the end is still 40 points... It's not about a series loss but getting the points for the Championship. I think all the guys are still keen and everyone is really motivated for the last one.

"Obviously, we had a few discussions and a review on what we did the previous games but I think the guys are really keen and they know what to do and hopefully we can get a win."

India have gained 80 points in the Proteas' three-match Test series thus far and are on 200 points in the ICC World Test Championship table after their 2-0 series win in the West Indies earlier this year. 

The final Test gets underway on Saturday (06:00 SA time).

Compiled by Lynn Butler

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