South Africa vs India 2018: Numbers about Wanderers before 3rd Test

A green strip at the Wanderers, Johannesburg awaits India and South Africa for the third and final Test and this has all the bearings to be a keenly-contested affair.

South African captain Faf du Plessis has maintained that he wants a pitch with good pace and bounce and nothing should be out of the ordinary.

VIDEO: @faf1307 says that the Wanderers pitch looks more like a pitch that the #Proteas are used to.#SAvIND pic.twitter.com/7bofJA4hRw

— SA Cricket magazine (@SACricketmag) January 23, 2018

What this also means is that India might go in with four regular quick bowlers and axe Ravichandran Ashwin which might once again put the management under scrutiny.

As the teams chalk out their combination, we delve into the numbers which might help them formulate strategies ahead of the toss.

Stats about the venue and which team will be more confident

: South Africa have never beaten India at the Wanderers. In the four Tests played at the venue, the hosts have drawn three and have gone down once, in 2006.

: South Africa have played 37 completed games and have won 15 and lost 11 matches with a winning percentage of 41.

: South Africa have won consecutive Tests against India for the first time since 2006/07; they’ve not won three in a row against them since 2000-2001.

: South Africa won their last Test at this venue against Sri Lanka in January 2017, but have not won back to back games there since 2002-2003. They have won five, drawn six, and lost six matches since 2002-2003.

: Vernon Philander is in line to play his 50th Test match, he is one of just two South African players with averages above and below 24 for batting and bowling respectively (10+ matches & 10+ wickets, also Shaun Pollock).

: Cheteshwar Pujara hit 153 in India’s second innings the last time they played at this venue, the highest score by an India batsman there. It is also the highest 2nd innings score by an Indian batsman in South Africa.

* All numbers courtesy Opta