Reliving Team India's 3 Test wins in South Africa

Team India are all set to tour South Africa for a three-match Test series, which will begin with the Boxing Day encounter at SuperSport Park in Centurion. The Test squad is expected to depart for Johannesburg on December 16 by a charter flight.

India were dealt a massive blow ahead of the tour as vice-captain Rohit Sharma was ruled out of the Test series in South Africa due to a hamstring injury. Experienced domestic batter Priyank Panchal was named as Rohit’s replacement in the Test squad.

India have a very poor record in South Africa. Out of 20 Tests they have played in the Rainbow Nation, the visitors have won only three and lost 10. The other seven Tests ended in a draw. During their previous tour in 2017-18, India went down 1-2.

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When India defeated the Proteas in South Africa

With India set to embark on their latest tour of South Africa, we look back at the team’s three famous wins in the country.

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#1 Johannesburg - December 2006

India celebrate their first-ever Test win in South Africa. Pic: Getty Images

India’s maiden Test match triumph in South Africa was registered under Rahul Dravid’s shrewd leadership during the 2006-07 tour. India got the better of the Proteas by 123 runs in the first Test of the three-match series in Johannesburg. Pace bowler S Sreesanth was outstanding, returning with figures of 5 for 40 and 3 for 59.

India won the toss and batted first in the Test, but could not stand up to South Africa’s quality bowling attack. Shaun Pollock (4/39) and Makhaya Ntini (3/57) starred for the Proteas to restrict the visitors to 249. Sourav Ganguly top-scored for India with 51*. Sreesanth, however, blew away South Africa with a magnificent spell of swing bowling as the hosts folded up for 84 in response.

Sreesanth trapped South African captain Graeme Smith (5) leg before with a short of a good length delivery that swung in. Hashim Amla (0) and Jacques Kallis (12) were caught in the slips as the pacer forced the batting legends to poke at deliveries outside off stump. Sreesanth added the scalps of Mark Boucher (5) and Shaun Pollock (5) as South Africa were bundled out in 25.1 overs.

VVS Laxman’s sublime 73 in the second innings guided India to 236. Zaheer Khan also chipped in with 37 as India set South Africa a huge target of 402. Sreesanth again dismissed the big three - Smith, Amla and Kallis. Ashwell Prince defied India with a stubborn 223-ball 97. However, Anil Kumble and Zaheer claimed three scalps each to bowl India to a historic triumph. The winning moment came when Zaheer had Makhaya Ntini caught for 8.

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#2 Durban - December 2010

Indian players are ecstatic are winning the 2010 Durban Test. Pic: Getty Images

India’s second Test win in South Africa came in Durban in the second Test of the 2010-11 series. South Africa sent India to bat after winning the toss and kept the visitors down to 205 as Dale Steyn claimed 6 for 50. For the visitors, VVS Laxman (38) and MS Dhoni (35) were the only batters to cross the 30-run mark.

India came back hard with the ball to clean up South Africa for a paltry 131. Zaheer dismissed Alviro Petersen, Smith and Ashwell Prince cheaply to return with figures of 3 for 36 in 13 overs. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh dismissed the well-set Amla for 33 and ran through the tail to finish with 4 for 10 from 7.2 overs.

While India had gained a handy first-innings lead, they conceded the advantage by losing half their side for 93 in their second innings. Laxman, however, held the South Africans with a spirited 96. He faced 171 balls and hit 12 fours during his sublime knock. He found some much-needed support from Zaheer (27) as the duo took India past 200. Laxman was the last man to fall, caught behind off Steyn looking for quick runs.

Set 303 for victory, South Africa were all out for 215 in 72.3 overs. Sreesanth got the big scalps again for India. He had Smith (37) caught behind off a bouncer while Amla’s (16) attempted cut ended in the hands of the keeper. Sreesanth then forced Kallis (17) to fend one that reared up from short of a length to gully.

Harbhajan ended AB de Villiers’ resistance on 33, trapping him lbw even though replays suggested the ball was going over the stumps. Zaheer (3/57) then uprooted the lower order. The victory came via a smart run out of Lonwabo Tsotsobe (0) by an alert Cheteshwar Pujara at forward short leg.

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#3 Johannesburg - January 2018

Virat Kohli and co celebrate the win over South Africa in the 2018 Johannesburg Test. Pic: Getty Images

India’s third and most recent Test win in South Africa came in Johannesburg during the third Test of the 2017-18 series. India had lost the series heading into the final Test and were seeking a consolation win. It came via terrific fast bowling performances by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami and an impressive all-round effort from Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Batting first after winning the toss, India only managed 187 despite half-centuries from Virat Kohli (54) and Pujara (50). They were in deep strife at 144 for 7 before Bhuvneshwar’s 30 took them to some respectability. Bumrah (5/54) then claimed his maiden five-for in Tests, while Bhuvneshwar chipped in with three as India held South Africa to 194.

The latter got India off to the perfect start with the ball, having Aiden Markram (2) and Dean Elgar (4) caught behind with wonderful seaming deliveries. Bhuvneshwar then cleaned up De Villiers (5) with another ripper. Next, it was time for the Bumrah show. The pacer bowled South African captain Faf du Plessis (8) as the batter shouldered arms to a ball that he should not have left alone. Bumrah then forced Quinton de Kock (8) to nick one and had Amla (61) caught at deep square leg. The South African tail had no answer to Bumrah’s brilliance.

40s from Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane and another 30-plus score from Bhuvneshwar saw India post 247 in the second innings. South Africa needed a challenging but gettable 241 to clean sweep India. Shami struck early for India, having Markram caught behind for 4. However, a century second-wicket stand between Dean Elgar (86*) and Amla (52) put South Africa in charge. Ishant Sharma gave India a much-needed lift having Amla caught off the flick shot. He then knocked over Du Plessis (2) with one that kept low.

Mohammed Shami of India celebrates the wicket of Aiden Markram. Pic: Getty Images

Bumrah chipped in by having De Villiers (6) caught at gully and trapping Quinton de Kock (0) leg-before. 124 for 1 became 145 for 5 in no time as South Africa looked in all kinds of trouble. Shami then cleaned up Vernon Philander (10), Andile Phehlukwayo (0) and Morne Morkel (0) as India marched towards the victory line.

The winning moment came when Lungi Ngidi (4) was caught behind off Shami. The pacer completed a famous five-for as India clinched victory by 63 runs.