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India are set to conclude their month-long Tour of South Africa by playing a couple of Test matches starting on December 26. The first Test match will start on Boxing Day and will be played in Centurion, while the second and final Test match will start on January 7, 2024, in Cape Town.
The Men in Blue have performed well on the tour so far. They drew the T20I series 1-1 before winning the ODI series 2-1, which is even more commendable considering the young and lesser experienced players used in both formats. Suryakumar Yadav captained the T20I side, KL Rahul led the ODI team, and now Rohit Sharma is set to captain the Test outfit.
India have never won a Test series in South Africa. This is arguably the best opportunity for the Men in Blue to script history, as a few key players will be returning after a well-deserved rest after the 2023 World Cup. Moreover, the Proteas aren't as formidable as they have been in the last couple of decades.
To win a Test series in South Africa, the visitors will have to bowl extremely well. On that note, let's look at India's three highest wicket-takers vs South Africa in Tests ft. Anil Kumble:
#3 Harbhajan Singh - 60 wickets
Harbhajan Singh, along with Anil Kumble, was India's primary source of wickets in the 2000s. The off-spinner from Jalandhar, Punjab, picked up 60 wickets in 19 Test innings against the South Africans in Test cricket, including three four-wicket hauls and four five-wicket hauls.
The Men in Blue weren't very successful in the longest format of the game during Harbhajan's playing days, which is why his bowling performance was crucial to the result of the match. Although Ravichandran Ashwin may have broken many of his records, Harbhajan still has the edge when it comes to Tests against South Africa.
#2 Javagal Srinath - 64 wickets
A major reason why the Indian bowling unit is feared around the world nowadays is the vast improvement in pace bowling. Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan were the only quality pacers for them in the 1990s and 2010s, leading to a lack of wickets being taken with the new ball.
Srinath, however, did his best whenever India came up against the Proteas. The right-arm fast-medium bowler registered 64 wickets in 25 innings against them. He also has a four-wicket haul as well as four five-wicket hauls.
#1 Anil Kumble - 84 wickets
It comes as no surprise that Anil Kumble is leading this list, considering he is easily the Men in Blue's best bowler of all time. The tall leg spinner dismissed 84 South African batters in 40 innings, picking up three four-wicket hauls and three five-wicket hauls in the process.
Anil Kumble is not only his country's leading wicket-taker in Test cricket but is also the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the format overall, with 619 wickets. No bowler won India more games than the Karnataka legend, who exercised his craft with some aplomb for close to two decades.
