A confident Indian Test team, coming off recent success overseas, heads to South Africa to conquer its final frontier and claim a maiden series in the rainbow nation.
Having won just three Tests so far on South African soil, Kohli’s India will look to improve its record against the Proteas and add a final feather to its Test cap.
Here is a look at the top five contests between the sides in South Africa
Johannesburg, 2006
Youth and experience came together as India registered its first Test win on South African soil. Sourav Ganguly top-scored with an unbeaten 51 and stitched a 44-run partnership with VRV Singh for the last wicket to take India to a modest 249 in the first innings after Rahul Dravid decided to bat first on a quick and bouncy Wanderers strip.
A young and fiery Sreesanth then ripped through the host with a fifer as South Africa crumbled for 84. With a comfortable lead of 165, VVS Laxman piled on the misery in the second innings with a gritty 154-ball 73 as India set the host a mammoth target of 402. Sreesanth struck thrice early on to reduce South Africa to 84 for four before Ashwell Prince’s fifty stretched the match into the penultimate day with India needing five wickets. Zaheer Khan and Anil Kumble efficiently cut short a lower-order resistance as India romped home by 123 runs.
Scores: India 249
(Ganguly 51*, Pollock 4-39, Ntini 3-57)and 236 (Laxman 73, Zaheer 37, Pollock 3-33) beat South Africa 84 (Sreesanth 5-40)and 278 (Prince 97, Kumble 3-54, Sreesanth 3-59) by 123 runs .
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Johannesburg, 2018
India showed heart to beat South Africa at its own game in the third and final Test after frustrating losses in the first two. India was skittled out for 187 on the opening day on a treacherous Wanderers wicket with half-centurions Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli putting on attritional defiance and Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 30 leading a lower-order fightback. Jasprit Bumrah shut out the noise on his Test selection with a 5 for 54 that saw the host capitulate for 194.
With its nerve and resolve on the line on a pitch questioned for its safety, India came through to post a battling 247 in the second innings and set South Africa 241 for the win. Just as a battered and bruised Dean Elgar was building a threatening 119-run alliance with Hashim Amla to set the stage for a series clean sweep, India’s pace quartet roared in unison, claiming nine wickets for 53 runs. Mohammad Shami rose above the rest with stunning returns of 5 for 28 as India bounced South Africa out for a 63-run heist.
India 187 (Kohli 54, Pujara 50, Rabada 3-39) and 247 (Rahane 48, Kohli 41, Bhuvneshwar 33) beat South Africa 194 (Amla 61, Philander 35, Bumrah 5-54, Bhuvneshwar 3-44) and 177 (Elgar 86*, Amla 52, Shami 5-28) by 63 runs.
Durban, 2010
Coming off a drubbing in the first Test at Centurion, India levelled the series with an 87-run win. Inserted on a green top, India’s woes with bounce and movement came to the fore as Dale Steyn’s six for 50 restricted India to 205. However, the visitor clawed its way back with Zaheer Khan’s vicious swing and Harbhajan Singh’s guile bundled South Africa for 131 in less than two sessions. After a steady start to the second innings, India was soon staring down the barrel at 56 for four, having lost three wickets for 12 runs to poor shot selection.
VVS Laxman struck a redeeming 96 – his highest Test score against the Proteas – and was the last man out with India 302 runs ahead. South Africa duly responded with a 63-run opening stand before Khan and Sreesanth dished roared back with menace, picking three wickets apiece to hand India its second win in the rainbow nation.
India 205 (Steyn 6-50) and 228 (Laxman 96) beat South Africa 131 (Harbhajan 4-10) and 215 (Sreesanth 3-35, Zaheer 3-57) by 87 runs.
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Johannesburg, 2013
A dramatic Test that looked poised for a historic result up until the dying moments of play eventually petered out into an inexplicable draw. With India 36 runs ahead after both sides completed their first innings, the stage was set for an exciting contest. Kohli had struck his second Test hundred overseas to take India to a fighting 280 while the pace trio delivered high-intensity spells to keep the host at bay.
A mammoth 222-run stand between Pujara, who smashed his first overseas ton, and Kohli took India to a commanding 421 in the second innings. Facing a record 458-chase, South Africa headed into the final day needing 320 runs to win with eight wickets in hand and a draw its best bet. Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers struck enterprising hundreds as the game was turned on its head with the host needing 56 runs from just under 10 overs. However, after both perished with 16 runs required and three wickets left, Vernon Philander and Steyn blocked out three overs before the latter cleared the rope for a last-ball six which did little to allay a dismayed, booing Wanderers crowd.
India 280 (Kohli 119, Philander 4-61) and 421 (Pujara 153, Kohli 96) drew with South Africa 244 (Smith 68, Philander 59, Ishant 4-79, Zaheer 4-88) and 450 for 7 (Du Plessis 134, De Villiers 103).
Cape Town, 2011
Sachin Tendulkar struck what would be his last Test hundred, Jacques Kallis did one better with tons in both innings as India drew the match and avoided conceding a series for the first time in South Africa. Put in to bat, South Africa suffered a couple of early blows before Kallis batted through the innings for his 161, powering the host to 362.
Another stalwart responded from the opposition camp as Tendulkar’s grafting 314-ball 146, which included an exhilarating duel with Steyn, and Gautam Gambhir’s defiant 93 gave India a two-run first-innings lead. Kallis combined with the rear-guard to lift South Africa from 98 for 5 after Harbhajan Singh bamboozled the top-order, leaving India to chase 340 runs on the final day. Gambhir and Rahul Dravid held the fort after Sehwag’s early dismissal, ensuring India entered the final session with only two wickets down. Tendulkar and VVS Laxman held off further inroads as they ground out for 19.3 overs following Gambhir’s early dismissal after Tea. The spoils were shared, and India squared the series 1-1.
South Africa 362(Kallis 161, Amla 59, Sreesanth 5-114)and 341 (Kallis 109*, Boucher 55, Harbhajan 7-120) drew with India 364 (Tendulkar 146, Gambhir 93, Steyn 5-75) and 166 for 3 (Gambhir 64).
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