South Africa in India: A history of Test Series played between both countries

Mohali is set to host the first Test of the upcoming Test series between India and South Africa

Including the first Test series in 1996-97, India have played 5 Test series against South Africa in India. Of those, two have been won by India, one by South Africa and remaining two have resulted in a draw.

As we approach another India-South Africa series, let’s take a look back at how the previous series have unfolded:

1996-97: India won 2-1

This was the first time when South Africa toured India to play a full series under the captaincy of Hansie Cronje. The series began in Ahmedabad which was a low-scoring affair and had only two half centuries in the match- one by a South African bowler and another by Indian debutant, VVS Laxman. The match was marked by Javagal Srinath’s stunning spell of 6/21 to restrict the visiting team to meagre 105 in their chase of 170.

South Africa came back in style in the second test at Kolkata to defeat India by 329 runs, led by Gary Kirsten’s twin hundreds and a century apiece by Andrew Hudson (146) and Daryll Cullinan (153) in first innings and second innings respectively. Chasing a mammoth target of 467 runs, India were bundled out for 137, thanks to debutant Lance Klusener’s career-best figures of 8/64.

The decider of the series was held in Kanpur, where a turner was waiting for the South Africans. India collapsed from 193-4 to 237 all out as they struggled to play Paul Adams, who took 6 wickets. In reply, Anil Kumble weaved his magic to send South Africans packing for 177 runs as he took 4-71. In the second innings, Mohammad Azharuddin scored a blistering century to set a target of 461.

It proved to be too much for the visitors, as India won the match by 280 runs and clinched the series 2-1 with Azharuddin claiming Man of the Match and Man of the series awards.

1999-00: South Africa won 2-0

Before the start of the series, India had been whitewashed 0-3 in Australia, but to beat the hosts in their own backyard was a tough task. However, Hansie Cronje and his boys got their revenge as they claimed the series 2-0 and became the first team to beat India on their home soil after 13 years.

The series began in Mumbai where India’s shallow batting performance initiated the disaster. In first innings, India scored 225 runs with captain Sachin Tendulkar top scoring with 97. In reply, South Africa could not even manage first innings lead as they were bundled out for 176.

Despite securing a lead, India’s batsmen could not make the most of their advantage as they fell like a pack of cards for just 113, as Shaun Pollock finished with figures of 4-24. South Africa chased down the target comfortably, to secure a lead in the series thanks to Mark Boucher’s brisk 27 and Jacques Kallis’s patient 36 off 129 balls.

Unfortunately for the hosts, this humiliation was not the end of the disaster, as the second test in Bangalore saw South Africa claim an innings win as the Indian batsmen were left clueless on their own patch. India were bowled out for 158 in their first innings, to which South Africa replied with a mammoth 479.

Trailing by 321 runs, Nicky Boje wreaked havoc as he sent the home team packing for 250 to secure a famous win for the Proteas. Nicky Boje was the man of the match for his five-for and 85 runs in first innings while Jacques Kallis bagged the Man of the Series award. Azharuddin scored a century in this match, which proved to be last test of his career after match-fixing allegations came into the picture.

2004-05: India won 1-0

Ganguly claims the spoils after a hard-fought series victory

The two-match test series started in Kanpur. It was a high-scoring affair as South Africa put on 510 thanks to century from Andrew Hall. In reply, Virender Sehwag’s blitzkrieg gave India some hoping of winning thanks to a 218-run opening partnership with Gautam Gambhir. But, too much time had already been taken out of the game as the match ended in a draw.

Eden Gardens hosted the second test and India restricted South Africa for 305 before posting 411 to take a lead, with the main contributions coming from Sehwag and Rahul Dravid. Harbhajan Singh fashioned an Indian victory by claiming figures of 7-87 on a turning wicket to end the South African innings on 222 runs. India chased down the target easily and won the series under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly and Sehwag was named as the Man of the Series.

2007-08: Series drawn 1-1

The first test in Chennai under the hot sun was drawn, but is remembered for Sehwag’s triple century where he deflated the visiting bowling attack on a flat track by scoring 319 off 304 balls. The red-soiled surface in second test in Ahmedabad assisted the South African pacers as India was rolled over for 76 runs on the opening morning and any hopes of a comeback vanished thanks to a double-century from AB de Villiers.

India lost the match by an innings and 90 runs as Dale Steyn ran through the star-studded Indian batting lineup to finish with 8 wickets in the match. With their backs to the wall, India turned to a slow-turner once again as the final test in Kanpur, saw India sail to victory in three days, under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, who took the charge in absence of Kumble and levelled the series.

Harbhajan’s figures of 4-44 in the second innings helped bundle the visitors out for 121 in their second innings and helped him claim the Man of the Series Award while Ganguly took home the Man of the Match Award.

2009-10: Series drawn 1-1

Dhoni and Smith sharing the spoils

In Nagpur, centuries from Hashim Amla (253) and Jaques Kallis (173) was followed up Steyn’s fiery spell 7-51 as the visitors took a huge first innings lead as India were bowled out for 233. Even with a century from Sachin Tendulkar, the hosts could not avert an innings defeat as they fell short of 6 runs and folded on 319.

The result meant that India had to win at Eden gardens to salvage their pride and to draw the series. They did that in sublime style, first by triggering a massive South African collapse to reduce them from 218/1 to 296 all out the posting a massive 643 thanks to centuries from four different batsmen. Sehwag top scored with 165, but Sachin (106), Laxman (143) and Dhoni (132*) all chipped in as well.

Despite Amla’s second century of the match and third in a row against India, the visitors couldn’t avoid an innings defeat as India won by an innings and 57 runs thanks to Harbhajan’s 5/57.

With new breed of players coming into the scene, the upcoming series is expected to be an exciting contest between the bat and ball. Let’s hope it brings the same fun and joy as the previous contests between both the nations did.