How many Tests has India won in South Africa?
Who first captained India in South Africa in 1992-1993?
Rajneesh Gupta answers all your questions.
IMAGE: Virat Kohli in a huddle with his team-mates. Photograph: BCCI
Virat Kohli and his team will look to break new ground when India take on South Africa in a series featuring the world's top two Test teams.
The three Test series begins in Cape Town on January 5 as India look to clinch its first-ever series win in South Africa and make a perfect start to the new year.
The numbers are firmly stacked against the Indians who have traditionally struggled on the fast bouncy tracks in South Africa since their first visit to the nation in 1992-1993.
So far, India has won only two Tests in South Africa out of 17, while losing eight games.
Out of the six series played in the African nation, India have lost five, while one ended in a draw.
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni came close to breaking India's duck in South Africa in 2010-2011 when the visitors drew the series 1-1.
On their last visit in 2013-2014, the Indians lost the two Test series 1-0.
Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for the most runs in India-South Africa Tests with 1,741 runs in 25 games and seven centuries.
Anil Kumble has picked the most number of wickets -- 84 scalps in 21 Tests.
| Tests | India | South Africa | Drawn | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in South Africa | 17 | 2 | 8 | 7 |
| in India | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 |
| Overall | 33 | 10 | 13 | 10 |
Series summary
| Series | India | South Africa | Drawn | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in South Africa | 6 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| in India | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 12 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
India-South Africa Test series in South Africa
| Captains | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | India | South Africa | Tests | India | South Africa | Drawn |
| 1992-1993 | Mohammad Azharuddin | Kepler Wessels | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 1996-1997 | Sachin Tendulkar | Hansie Cronje | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2001-2002 | Sourav Ganguly | Shaun Pollock | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2006-2007 | Rahul Dravid | Graeme Smith | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2010-2011 | M S Dhoni | Graeme Smith | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2013-2014 | M S Dhoni | Graeme Smith | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
India-South Africa Test Series in India
| Captains | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | India | South Africa | Tests | India | South Africa | Drawn |
| 1996-1997 | Sachin Tendulkar | Hansie Cronje | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1999-2000 | Sachin Tendulkar | Hansie Cronje | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2004-2005 | Sourav Ganguly | Graeme Smith | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2007-2008 | Anil Kumble# | Graeme Smith | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2009-2010 | M S Dhoni | Graeme Smith | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2015-2016 | Virat Kohli | Hashim Amla | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
#M S Dhoni captained India in the third Test of the series.
Synopsis of matches
| # | Start Date | Venue | Innings1 | Innings2 | Innings3 | Innings4 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 13, 1992 | Durban | South Africa 254 | India 277 | South Africa 176/3 | Drawn | |
| 2 | November 26, 1992 | Johannesburg | South Africa 292 | India 227 | South Africa 252 | India 141/4 | Drawn |
| 3 | December 26, 1992 | Port Elizabeth | India 212 | South Africa 275 | India 215 | SA 155/1 | South Africa won by 9 wickets |
| 4 | January 2, 1993 | Cape Town | South Africa 360/9d | India 276 | South Africa 130/6d | India 29/1 | Drawn |
| 5 | November 20, 1996 | Ahmedabad | India 223 | South Africa 244 | India 190 | South Africa 105 | India won by 64 runs |
| 6 | November 27, 1996 | Kolkata | South Africa 428 | India 329 | South Africa 367/3d | India 137 | South Africa won by 329 runs |
| 7 | December 8, 1996 | Kanpur | India 237 | South Africa 177 | India 400/7d | South Africa 180 | India won by 280 runs |
| 8 | December 26, 1996 | Durban | South Africa 235 | India 100 | South Africa 259 | India 66 | South Africa won by 328 runs |
| 9 | January 2, 1997 | Cape Town | South Africa 529/7d | India 359 | South Africa 256/6d | India 144 | South Africa won by 282 runs |
| 10 | January 16, 1997 | Johannesburg | India 410 | South Africa 321 | India 266/8d | South Africa 228/8 | Drawn |
| 11 | February 24, 2000 | Mumbai | India 225 | South Africa 176 | India 113 | South Africa 164/6 | South Africa won by 4 wickets |
| 12 | March 2, 2000 | Bangalore | India 158 | South Africa 479 | India 250 | South Africa won by an innings and 71 runs | |
| 13 | November 3, 2001 | Bloemfontein | India 379 | South Africa 563 | India 237 | South Africa 54/1 | South Africa won by 9 wickets |
| 14 | November 16. 2001 | Port Elizabeth | South Afrcia 362 | India 201 | South Africa 233/5d | India 206/3 | Drawn |
| 15 | November 20, 2004 | Kanpur | South Africa 510/9d | India 466 | South Africa 169/4 | Drawn | |
| 16 | November 28, 2004 | Kolkata | South Africa 305 | India 411 | South Africa 222 | India 120/2 | India won by 8 wickets |
| 17 | December 15, 2006 | Johannesburg | India 249 | South Africa 84 | India 236 | South Africa 278 | India won by 123 runs |
| 18 | December 26, 2006 | Durban | South Africa 328 | India 240 | South Africa 265/8d | India 179 | South Africa won by 174 runs |
| 19 | January 2, 2007 | Cape Town | India 414 | South Africa 373 | India 169 | South Africa 211/5 | South Africa won by 5 wickets |
| 20 | March 26, 2008 | Chennai | South Africa 540 | India 627 | South Africa 331/5 | Drawn | |
| 21 | April 3, 2008 | Ahmedabad | India 76 | South Africa 494/7d | India 328 | South Africa won by an innings and 90 runs | |
| 22 | April 11, 2008 | Kanpur | South Africa 265 | India 325 | South Africa 121 | India 64/2 | India won by 8 wickets |
| 23 | February 6, 2010 | Nagpur | South Africa 558/6d | India 233 | India 319 | South Africa won by an innings and 6 runs | |
| 24 | Februay 14, 2010 | Kolkata | South Africa 296 | India 643/6d | South Africa 290 | India won by an innings and 57 runs | |
| 25 | December 16 2010 | Centurion | India 136 | South Africa 620/4d | India 459 | South Africa won by an innings and 25 runs | |
| 26 | December 26, 2010 | Durban | India 205 | South Africa 131 | India 228 | South Africa 215 | India won by 87 runs |
| 27 | January 2, 2011 | Cape Town | South Africa 362 | India 364 | South Africa 341 | India 166/3 | Drawn |
| 28 | December 18, 2013 | Johannesburg | India 280 | South Africa 244 | India 421 | South Africa 450/7 | Drawn |
| 29 | December 26, 2013 | Durban | India 334 | South Africa 500 | India 223 | South Africa 59/0 | South Africa won by 10 wickets |
| 30 | November 5, 2015 | Mohali | India 201 | South Africa 184 | India 200 | South Africa 109 | India won by 108 runs |
| 31 | November 14, 2015 | Bengaluru | South Africa 214 | India 80/0 | Drawn | ||
| 32 | November 25, 2015 | Nagpur | India 215 | South Africa 79 | India 173 | South Africa 185 | India won by 124 runs |
| 33 | December 3, 2015 | Delhi | India 334 | South Africa 121 | India 267/5d | South Africa 143 | India won by 337 runs |
India's performance on South African grounds
| Tests | Won | Lost | Drawn | Win% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 25.00 |
| Durban | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 20.00 |
| Cape Town | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Port Elizabeth | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Bloemfontein | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Centurion | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
Highest Innings Totals
| Score | Venue | Series | |
|---|---|---|---|
| India in India | 643/6d | Kolkata | 2009-2010 |
| India in South Africa | 459 | Centurion | 2010-2011 |
| South Africa in India | 558/6d | Nagpur | 2009-2010 |
| South Africa in South Africa | 620/4d | Centurion | 2010-2011 |
Lowest Innings Totals
| Score | Venue | Series | |
|---|---|---|---|
| India in India | 76 | Ahmedabad | 2007-2008 |
| India in South Africa | 66 | Durban | 1996-1997 |
| South Africa in India | 79 | Nagpur | 2015-2016 |
| South Africa in South Africa | 84 | Johannesburg | 2006-2007 |
| Score | Venue | Series | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highest Match Aggregate | 1,498 for 25 wickets | Chennai | 2007-2008 |
| Lowest Match Aggregate | 652 for 40 wickets | Nagpur | 2015-2016 |
Individual hundreds
India: 27 (13 in South Africa, 14 in India) (Most: 7 by Sachin Tendulkar)
South Africa: 33 (18 in South Africa, 15 in India) (Most: 7 by Jacques Kallis)
Highest Individual Innings
| Score | Player | Venue | Series | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India in India | 319 | Virender Sehwag | Chennai | 2007-2008 |
| India in South Africa | 169 | Sachin Tendulkar | Cape Town | 1996-1997 |
| South Africa in India | 253* | Hashim Amla | Nagpur | 2009-2010 |
| South Africa in South Africa | 201* | Jacques Kallis | Centurion | 2010-2011 |
Most Runs in a Series
| Score | Player | Series | |
|---|---|---|---|
| India in India | 388 (average 77.60) | Mohammed Azharuddin | 1996-1997 |
| India in South Africa | 326 (average 81.50) | Sachin Tendulkar | 2010-2011 |
| South Africa in India | 490 (av 490.00) | Hashim Amla | 2009-2010 |
| South Africa in South Africa | 498 (average 166.00) | Jacques Kallis | 2010-2011 |
Most Runs
| Tests | Runs | Highest Score | Average | 100 | 50 | 0 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | 25 | 1,741 | 169 | 42.46 | 7 | 5 | 3 |
| Jacques Kallis | 18 | 1,734 | 201* | 69.36 | 7 | 5 | 1 |
| Hashim Amla | 18 | 1,325 | 253* | 45.68 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Virender Sehwag | 15 | 1,306 | 319 | 50.23 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Rahul Dravid | 21 | 1,252 | 148 | 33.83 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| A B de Villiers | 17 | 1,123 | 217* | 40.10 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Graeme Smith | 15 | 987 | 94 | 37.96 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| V V S Laxman | 19 | 976 | 143* | 37.53 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| Sourav Ganguly | 17 | 947 | 87 | 33.82 | 0 | 7 | 4 |
| Mohammed Azharuddin | 11 | 779 | 163* | 41.00 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
Record Wicket Partnerships: India
| Wicket | Score | Players | Venue | Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 218 | Virender Sehwag (164), G Gambhir (96) | Kanpur | 2004-2005 |
| 2nd | 268 | Virender Sehwag (319), Rahul Dravid (111) | Chennai | 2007-2008 |
| 3rd | 249 | Virender Sehwag (165), Sachin Tendulkar (106) | Kolkata | 2009-2010 |
| 4th | 145 | Rahul Dravid (148), Sourav Ganguly (73) | Johannesburg | 1996-1997 |
| 5th | 220 | Sachin Tendulkar (155), Virender Sehwag (105) | Bloemfontein | 2001-2002 |
| 6th | 222 | Sachin Tendulkar (169), Mohammed Azharuddin (115) | Cape Town | 1996-1997 |
| 7th | 259* | V V S Laxman (143*), M S Dhoni (132*) | Kolkata | 2009-2010 |
| 8th | 161 | Mohammed Azharuddin (109), Anil Kumble (88) | Kolkata | 1996-1997 |
| 9th | 80 | V V S Laxman (89), A Kumble (28) | Port Elizabeth | 2001-2002 |
| 10th | 52 | Ajit Agarkar (41*), Murli Kartik (14) | Mumbai | 1999-2000 |
Record Wicket Partnerships: South Africa
| Wicket | Score | Players | Venue | Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 236 | Andrew Hudson (146), Gary Kirsten (102) | Kolkata | 1996-1997 |
| 2nd | 212 | Gary Kirsten (133), Darryl Cullinan (153*) | Kolkata | 1996-1997 |
| 3rd | 340 | Hashim Amla (253*), Jacques Kallis (173) | Nagpur | 2009-2010 |
| 4th | 224 | Jacques Kallis (201*), A B de Villiers (129) | Centurion | 2009-2010 |
| 5th | 256 | Jacques Kallis (132), A B de Villiers (217*) | Ahmedabad | 2007-2008 |
| 6th | 144 | Andrew Hall (163), Zander de Bruyn (83) | Kanpur | 2004-2005 |
| 7th | 121 | Lance Klusener (108), Mark Boucher (47) | Bloemfontein | 2001-2002 |
| 8th | 147* | Brian McMillan (103*), Lance Klusener (102*) | Cape Town | 1996-1997 |
| 9th | 60 | Fanie de Villiers (67*), Allan Donald (17) | Ahmedabad | 1996-1997 |
| 10th | 74 | Brian McMillan (51*), Allan Donald (26) | Durban | 1996-1997 |
5-wicket innings hauls
| India: 23 (10 in South Africa, 13 in India) | (Most: 4 each by Javagal Srinath, Harbhajan Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin) |
| South Africa: 17 (10 in South Africa, 7 in India) | (Most: 5 by Dale Steyn) |
Best Bowling in an Innings
| Score | Player | Venue | Series | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India in India | 7/66 | Ravichandran Ashwin | Nagpur | 2015-2016 |
| India in South Africa | 7/120 | Harbhajan Singh | Cape Town | 2010-2011 |
| South Africa in India | 8/64 | Lance Klusener | Kolkata | 1996-1997+ |
| South Africa in South Africa | 7/84 | Allan Donald | Port Elizabeth | 1992-1993 |
(+on debut)
Best Bowling in a Test
| Score | Player | Venue | Series | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India in India | 12/98 | Ravichandran Ashwin | Nagpur | 2015-2016 |
| India in South Africa | 10/153 | Venkatesh Prasad | Durban | 1996-1997 |
| South Africa in India | 10/108 | Dale Steyn | Nagpur | 2009-2010 |
| South Africa in South Africa | 12/139 | Allan Donald | Port Elizabeth | 1992-1993 |
Most Wickets in a Series
| Wickets | Average | Player | Series | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India in India | 31 | (Acerage: 11.13) | Ravichandran Ashwin | 2015-2016 |
| India in South Africa | 18 | (Average: 25.94) | Anil Kumble | 1992-1993 |
| 18 | (Average: 28.72) | Javagal Srinath | 1996-1997 | |
| 18 | (Average: 22.00) | Shantakumaran Sreesanth | 2006-2007 | |
| South Africa in India | 15 | (Average: 20.20) | Dale Steyn | 2007-2008 |
| South Africa in South Africa | 21 | (Average: 17.48) | Dale Steyn | 2010-2011 |
Most wickets
| Tests | Wickets | Best | Average | Strike Rate | 5I | 10M | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Kumble | 21 | 84 | 6/53 | 31.79 | 81.31 | 3 | 0 |
| Javagal Srinath | 13 | 64 | 6/21 | 24.48 | 51.79 | 4 | 0 |
| Dale Steyn | 13 | 63 | 7/51 | 21.41 | 41.52 | 5 | 1 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 11 | 60 | 7/87 | 28.40 | 59.48 | 4 | 0 |
| Allan Donald | 11 | 57 | 7/84 | 17.31 | 43.75 | 3 | 1 |
| Shaun Pollock | 12 | 52 | 6/56 | 19.63 | 52.12 | 2 | 1 |
| Morne Morkel | 14 | 45 | 5/20 | 28.26 | 56.22 | 1 | 0 |
| Zaheer Khan | 12 | 40 | 4/62 | 36.42 | 66.28 | 0 | 0 |
| Makhaya Ntini | 10 | 36 | 5/48 | 28.97 | 51.94 | 1 | 0 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 5 | 31 | 7/66 | 14.61 | 40.00 | 4 | 1 |
| Shantakumaran Sreesanth | 9 | 31 | 5/40 | 33.70 | 57.09 | 2 | 0 |
Captaincy record:
| Tests | Won | Lost | Drawn | Won% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graeme Smith | 15 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 40.00 |
| Hansie Cronje | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 62.50 |
| M S Dhoni | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 37.50 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 8 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 25.00 |
| Virat Kohli | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 75.00 |
| Kepler Wessels | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 25.00 |
| Sourav Ganguly | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 25.00 |
| Mohammed Azharuddin | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Hashim Amla | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Rahul Dravid | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Shaun Pollock | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00 |
| Anil Kumble | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 |
