NEW DELHI: South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad described his team's recent tour of India as "very successful" and expressed hope that the two sides would face each other again in the final of next year's T20 World Cup.
India, the defending champions, will co-host the tournament with Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, having defeated South Africa in a thrilling final in the 2024 edition.
"We've got some work to do still, there's no doubt. But the good thing is that the boys have got a month of SA20 coming up and that will also be really good prep in honing their skills to ensure that when the West Indies arrive on our shores we're ready for that," Conrad told the media after the fifth T20I, which India won by 30 runs to clinch their five-match series 3-1.
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"... and then obviously the World Cup, that's the big thing. So whilst we didn't get the results we wanted here in the (T20I) series, I'd like to think this might be the World Cup's finalists (of 2024) in the next World Cup as well. I really hope so," he added.
Conrad did not shy away from addressing whether this was the best-ever Indian team, as the hosts extended their unbeaten home series streak to 18 on Friday.
"(India are a) helluva side. You need to be on top of your game all the time. The way they came out with the bat and constantly put bowlers under pressure from ball No. 1... they have (also) got a few match-winners with the ball," he said.
"But to answer your question, I can't think of a better side to be brutally honest so they must rank right up there," Conrad added.
Conrad, who had recently been in the headlines for controversial reasons, made the comment after the fourth day of the second Test, when South Africa batted deep into their second innings to set India a daunting target of 549.
When asked why they didn't declare earlier, Conrad had said: "We wanted the Indians to spend as much time on their feet out in the field, we wanted them to really grovel, to steal a phrase, bat them completely out the game, and then say to them, 'come and survive on the last day and an hour this evening.'"
The South African coach highlighted Hardik Pandya, who blasted a 16-ball fifty - the second fastest by an Indian in T20Is - as the key difference between the two teams in the series.
"Taking nothing away from (Jasprit) Bumrah, I think Hardik has been the difference in the two teams," he said.
"His knock tonight was the difference between us winning and losing. He played a knock in the first one as well, where he just walked in and we had him in a little bit of trouble."
"Look, there's a reason why he's one of the best in the world in this format (and) his performances have been right up there. I don't know who the man of the series is out there, but I'll be very surprised if it's not him," he added.
"It's been a wonderful tour. We started off brilliantly with a Test series and then to take it to a decider in the one-dayers, and then we had an opportunity tonight to level the T20 series," he said.
South Africa swept the hosts 2-0 to clinch their first Test series win in India in 25 years to begin the tour on a rousing note.
But the Proteas fell short in the white-ball leg, with India winning the ODI series 2-1 before sealing the T20Is 3-1.
"(It is an) incredible place to come and tour. You learn a lot about yourself and obviously, the game and conditions. This last bit (T20I series) has been wonderful for us in terms of conditions that we're going to experience in a few months' time when we come here for the World Cup."
"Obviously, you want to win every series you play in. They (India) are the world champions in this format for a reason. We've got to make sure that we come back in a few months' time and try and topple them," he added.
(With PTI Inputs)
