South Africa vs India 2018: 5 players with most runs in SA-IND Tests

Somerset v India - Tour Match

The top two Test sides in the world, India and South Africa, are all set to pit their wits against each other in a gruelling three-match series starting Friday, January 5.

The Virat Kohli-led Team India, who were almost flawless at home in 2017, have won nine consecutive Test series, while South Africa have won only five Tests out of their last 10.

India, who last toured South Africa in 2013-14, have never won a Test series in the Rainbow Nation, but, they would like to set the record straight this time around.

Overall, the two countries have played 33 five-day games since 1992 with South Africa winning 13 out of them and India emerging victorious on 10 occasions.

Just like there is a lot of zest and fervour for the upcoming series, all the past encounters between India and South Africa have been quite intriguing as well. Players from both the sides have always tried to put their best foot forward to dominate the opposition as much as possible.

Now, let's have a look at five stalwarts, who top-performed with the bat, whenever India and South Africa locked horns.

#5 Rahul Dravid

South Africa v India 1st Test - Day 3

The technically sound Rahul Dravid's greatest contribution to Indian cricket was his ability to perform well in the away-series. Riding on a lot of memorable performances during his career that spanned over 16 years, Dravid grew in stature in the Test arena and established himself as one of the cornerstones of Indian batting machinery.

Between 1996 and 2011, Dravid played 21 five-day matches against South Africa and scored 1,252 runs at an average of 33.83, including two tons and five fifties.

Dravid's highest score against the Proteas came in a 1997 Test when he scored 148 at Johannesburg.

The hosts had already won the three-match series 2-0 but Dravid's resistance in the third match ensured a draw and he won the Man of the Match award for scoring a total of 229 runs in the five-day match.

#4 Virender Sehwag

First Test - India v South Africa: Day 3

Due to his aggressive style of play, Virender Sehwag was typecasted as a limited-overs specialist in the initial years of his career.

However, by the time Sehwag retired in 2015, his numbers in the longest version of the game were far more imposing as compared to the shorter formats.

The ICC Test player of the year 2010, played 15 five-day games against South Africa between 2001 and 201, scoring 1,306 runs at an average of 50.23.

He scored five tons and two fifties and hit a maximum number of 17 sixes against the Proteas in Test cricket.

Sehwag, the first Indian to hit a Test triple ton, brought up his highest tally of 319 in the longest format against South Africa in a 2008 five-day game at Chennai.

Sehwag's second triple ton was the fastest in the history of Test cricket as it came off just 278 balls.

#3 Hashim Amla

South Africa v Australia - 2nd Test: Day 4

Owing to his talent and consistency, it is quite possible that by the end of the upcoming series, Hashim Amla might move up the ranks on this particular list.

The classiest stroke-maker on the cricket field, Amla made his Test debut against India in November 2004 and since then he has played 18 Tests against them.

At an average of 45.68, Amla has scored 1,325 runs against the country of his birth, including five tons and four fifties.

The first African batsman, to score a triple century in Tests, brought up his highest score against India, when he scored 253* at a 2010 five-day match at Nagpur and led the visitors to a massive win by an innings and 6 runs.

#2 Jacques Kallis

2nd Test India v South Africa - Day 1

Regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Jacques Kallis, South Africa's leading run-scorer in Tests, piled up maximum runs against India as well.

Between 2000 and 2013, Kallis played 18 five-day games against India and scored 1,734 runs at a staggering average of 69.36.

Kallis, who earned a lot of praise for his orthodox batting technique, scored seven of his 45 Test tons against India.

His highest score against India came in a 2010 Test at Centurion, where he scored an unbeaten 201 and led the hosts to a comprehensive win by an innings and 25 runs.

#1 Sachin Tendulkar

South Africa v India 1st Test - Day 4

The all-time leading run-scorer in Test cricket, Sachin Tendulkar has accumulated the maximum runs in India-South Africa encounters in whites.

Out of his 15,921 Test runs, 1,741 came in 25 five-day matches that he played against South Africa.

The man, who holds the record for the highest number of centuries in Tests, hit seven tons and five fifties against the Proteas between 1992 and 2011.

The Master Blaster's highest innings against the Rainbow Nation came in 1997 at Cape Town, where he scored 169 in a losing cause.

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Edited by Tanya Rudra