Centurion - They may be 2-0 down in the series and have been outplayed in all departments by the Proteas, but Indian captain Virat Kohli believes his side is still the best in the world when it comes to Test cricket.
That is what the rankings still say, and regardless of what happens in the third Test at the Wanderers, they will stay that way.
South Africa are still No 2, but they are closing the gap on the Indians.
"We have to believe that we are the best side," Kohli told media in Pretoria .
"Even when we came here, if you don’t have the belief that you can win the series here, there is no point coming.
"We have not come here just to participate.
"How many times did South Africa come into the game in India? Coming close to winning games in India?"
Kohli was having a stab at a journalist who had criticised India for failing to win significant Test matches away from home.
The Indian skipper said his side had been in the game at both Newlands and Centurion and that they could have won on both occasions, unlike the Proteas when they were completely outplayed when touring India in 2015.
"We are not complaining about pitches, we are not complaining about conditions," Kohli said.
"We have come here to play. As I said, we have had equal opportunities to win in both games, and that’s the positive we can take out of it, but I’m not sitting here comforting my guys.
"I’m asking everyone to be hard on themselves."
India will be playing for pride in the third Test, which gets underway in Johannesburg on January 24.