South Africa vs India 2018: Top 5 Tests between South Africa and India

After much ado, South Africa will be finally hosting India for a full tour of 3 Tests, 6 ODIs and 3 T20s. India have won only two Tests on South African soil so far, and are yet to register a series win there, having surrendered a 1-0 lead to lose 1-2 in 2006.

Before the first Test of the 2018 series starts at Cape Town on January 5, Sportskeeda revisits some of the most memorable encounters between these two sides, including two exciting drawn matches.

#5 South Africa vs India, Johannesburg 2013

A draw for the ages. South Africa nearly ended up chasing a mammoth 458 at The Wanderers on a pitch with true pace and bounce, where MS Dhoni chose to bat.

But only a young Virat Kohli, with 119, contributed majorly in a total of 280 where the only other batsman to cross 25 was then-newcomer Ajinkya Rahane with 47. Vernon Philander bagged 4/61 and Morne Morkel 3/34. Graeme Smith then got 68, but South Africa ended up also needing crucial lower-order runs from Philander, who hit 59. Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan took four each as India were 36 ahead.

In a humungous effort, the surging Kohli and Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara put on 222 runs for the third wicket. Pujara achieved his highest score of 153 outside Asia – till date, that remains his only century outside the sub-continent – while Kohli missed out on a second century by just four runs. Eventually, India set South Africa an unlikely 458 to win and record the highest successful chase in Test cricket.

From a smooth position of 108 without loss, South Africa feared losing the match at 197/4, with India having as many as 75 overs to take the remaining wickets. But AB de Villiers brought his experience into play to stitch 205 with Faf du Plessis in 62 overs. Both batsmen hit hundreds, and as South Africa threatened to take away the match with their tail in the middle, 16 runs in the final 3.1 overs made them give up, much like India, who went on the defensive with their bowling and the field.

India 280 (Kohli 119, Rahane 47; Philander 4/61) and 421 (Pujara 153, Kohli 96; Philander 3/68) drew with South Africa 244 (Smith 68, Philander 59; Ishant 4/79) and 450/7 (du Plessis 134, de Villiers 103; Shami 3/107)

#4 South Africa vs India, Durban 2010

Laxman got 96 in the second innings to steer India out of trouble at Durban in 2010

Graeme Smith put India in to bat citing helpful bowling conditions at the Kingsmead and his bowlers did not disappoint. All batsmen up to number eight entered double figures but none crossed VVS Laxman’s 38. Dale Steyn got the top three of Virender Sehwag, Murali Vijay and Rahul Dravid before accounting for Laxman, MS Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh to finish with 6/50 as all India could manage was a paltry 205.

But it was grim for South Africa as well when they came out to bat. Zaheer Khan got his bunny Smith early and Alviro Petersen and Hashim Amla could not capitalize on good starts. Harbhajan got Amla and then cleaned up the tail in quick time as three South Africans were dismissed for a duck.

He took 4/10 and India a lead of 74. When India were 93/5 in the second innings, there was, as usual, Laxman hanging on to keep them at bay. He found Dhoni for company to stabilize things and then, just like at Johannesburg in 2006, added 70 for the eighth wicket with Zaheer. The last man to fall for 96, Laxman ensured South Africa had to chase 303.

Despite starting well, South Africa suffered once Smith departed for 37. Sreesanth rocked the hosts by claiming Jacques Kallis and Amla after Smith, and this time Harbhajan chose Petersen and AB de Villiers as his victims. Ashwell Prince briefly gave India a scare when he added 33 with Morne Morkel, but both Morkel and last man Lonwabo Tsotsobe were gone in the same over as South Africa crumbled for 215.

India 205 (Laxman 38, Dhoni 35; Steyn 6/50) and 228 (Laxman 96, Sehwag 32; Tsotsobe 3/43) beat South Africa 131 (Amla 33; Harbhajan 4/10, Zaheer 3/36) and 215 (Prince 39*, Smith 37; Sreesanth 3/45) by 87 runs

#3 India vs South Africa, Kolkata 2010

Harbhajan Singh cleaned up as Hashim Amla's twin hundreds went in vain

In a dramatic Test at Eden Gardens, South Africa, having elected to bat, were cruising at 218/1 on the first afternoon. Debutant Alviro Petersen got a hundred in the company of Hashim Amla, who had hit 253* in his previous innings of the tour. But then started a collapse which saw South Africa fold up for only 296. Zaheer Khan removed both Petersen and Amla, 114, before Harbhajan Singh joined in the fun to get rid of three middle-order batsmen. Both Jacques Kallis and Ashwell Prince fell in the twenties and neither of AB de Villiers and JP Duminy entered double figures.

By the second morning, Virender Sehwag had started his assault on the visiting bowlers as India began at a run rate of over seven an over. After Gautam Gambhir and Murali Vijay departed, Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar strung together 249 at a quick pace for the third wicket to demoralize the bowlers. Sehwag struck 165 and Tendulkar 106; and as if that was not enough, VVS Laxman and captain MS Dhoni went undefeated in a stand of 259 for the seventh wicket, scripting 143* and 132*, respectively.

Then entered rain and bad light to affect the game. South Africa, 347 behind in the first innings, finished Day Four on 115/3 with Amla standing. By tea on the final day, they were seven down but Amla was still present. The final hour of the day began with India needing one wicket to level the series, which Harbhajan duly got, taking 5/59 in the innings and leaving behind Amla on 123.

India 643/6 dec (Sehwag 165, Laxman 143*) beat South Africa 296 (Amla 114, Peterson 100; Zaheer 4/90) and 290 (Amla 123*; Harbhajan 5/59, Mishra 3/78) by an innings and 57 runs

#2 South Africa vs India, Johannesburg 2006

Sreesanth's 5/40 helped bundle the Proteas for 84 in the first innings of the 2006 Johannesburg Test

India’s maiden Test win in South Africa came on the back of a stupendous performance from an unlikely bowler. Sreesanth, still new into the Indian side, fashioned a memorable win by grabbing 5/40 in the first innings, a haul which helped bowl the hosts out for merely 84, and included the wickets of Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis cheaply. Anil Kumble, on his part, got two wickets in two overs including that of top-scorer Ashwell Prince.

But before that happened, India had managed to put up only a modest total of 249 which included multiple starts, but not a single sufficient score. Comeback man Sourav Ganguly got 51* and needed support from number eleven VRV Singh, who hit 29, to lend the Indian total some respectability. Shaun Pollock took 4/39 to restrict India. With a massive lead of 165 in the pocket, India stepped out to consolidate on that position, but were soon reduced to 61/4 with Pollock and Andre Nel picking up two each.

But VVS Laxman, India’s crisis man of the second innings, stood firm to build two important partnerships: first of 58 with Ganguly and then of 70 for the eighth wicket with Zaheer Khan. Laxman fell for 73 with the hosts needing 402 to win.

In a nervous run chase, Sreesanth again dismissed all three of Smith, Amla and Kallis, as only Prince fought with a valiant 97, the ninth man to be dismissed. Kumble kept himself in the game with two more wickets, helping India to a win by 123 runs, their first against South Africa in their own den.

India 249 (Ganguly 51*, Tendulkar 44; Pollock 4/39) and 236 (Laxman 73, Zaheer 37; Pollock 3/33) beat South Africa 84 (Prince 24; Sreesanth 5/40, Kumble 2/2) and 278 (Prince 97, Pollock 40; Kumble 3/54) by 123 runs

#1 South Africa vs India, Johannesburg 1997

Rahul Dravid had got 148 and 81 in the Johannesburg Test in 1997

This match was a dead rubber after South Africa had twice thumped India in the previous two Tests, but the visitors were determined to not let go a final opportunity of winning a Test on the tour. India batted first and put up a brave display with a score of 410. The total was based on the fourth wicket partnership of 145 between newcomers Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly after India had lost 3 for 100.

Ganguly was comparatively attacking, while Dravid played patiently to tighten one end up. Eventually, both fell for 73 and 148, respectively.

South Africa never got off to a start but Shaun Pollock frustrated India with 79. Brian McMillan got 47 as India’s pace spearhead Javagal Srinath broke through with crucial wickets of Daryll Cullinan and captain Hansie Cronje. Srinath achieved figures of 5/104 which gave India an essential 89-run lead. In India’s second innings, yet again, Dravid and Ganguly contributed heftily to set South Africa 356.

At 95/7 in South Africa’s chase, victory was all but India’s. Only one out of the seven dismissed batsmen had made it to double digits as Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad and Anil Kumble had accounted for all the wickets to press for India’s first Test win on South African soil. But Cullinan and Lance Klusener turned villains to add 127. Already, India had lost a few overs after rain had halted play earlier in the innings; then came this recuing act and though Klusener was removed by Kumble, bad light stopped play with four overs remaining and South Africa eight down, Cullinan stubbornly standing at 122.

India 410 (Dravid 148, Ganguly 73; Klusener 3/75) and 266/8 dec (Dravid 81, Ganguly 60; Donald 3/38) drew with South Africa 321 (Pollock 79, McMillan 47; Srinath 5/104) and 228/8 (Cullinan 122*, Klusener 49; Kumble 3/40)