5 epic Test matches India should’ve won

#3 Johannesburg, January 1997, Match drawn with South Africa

India came out of their tour of South Africa without a win

This could’ve been one of the greatest Test victories for India on foreign soil. Pitted against one of the strongest Test teams of all times, and down 0-2, India posted 410 in the first innings thanks to a very young Rahul Dravid, who scored 148 and added 145 for the fourth wicket with Sourav Ganguly who scored 73. Dravid was the last man to be dismissed after adding 144 for the last four wickets.

South Africa managed 321 after being 147-5 at one point. India declared on 266 in their third innings, Dravid and Ganguly scoring half-centuries again. India set South Africa a target of 356 runs and had them in deep trouble at 78 for 6 and then 95 for 7. The match was pretty much in India’s bag but rain played spoilsport. Thanks to the massive rain interruption, India had only 72 overs to get South Africa out and Daryll Cullinan played a great knock, unbeaten on 122 adding 127 for the eighth wicket with Lance Klusener.

Allan Donald survived 16 balls and play was halted due to bad light with 4 overs still left. India were 2 wickets short of a great victory but that was never meant to be. A win against Cronje’s men in their own den, especially in the 1990s which probably represented one of India’s weakest phases would’ve been a memorable one!