IND Vs RSA: The conditions in India have proved challenging for the overseas teams, especially in the red ball format. Despite playing a tournament like the Indian Premier League since 2008, the batters from foreign countries have failed to adapt to India’s spin-friendly pitches and surfaces while playing the traditional version of this game.
South Africa and India have been two good teams over the years. These two teams have posed a good challenge. But still, the Proteas haven’t won a single red ball series on Indian soil and the same thing also goes for the Men in Blue, who are yet to win a Test match series in South Africa. Under Rohit’s captaincy, India had toured the Proteas Nation in 2023.
The Men in Blue had a successful tour of South Africa. India won the One Day International series and drew the red ball series and the three-match series of the shortest format. Sharma Ji is the only second Indian skipper after MS Dhoni to level the Test series in South Africa. MSD achieved this feat in the 2010/2011 tour.
In this segment today, we shall mention when South Africa toured India for a Test Match Series. The Proteas had come to India and they had played a series of the white ball format. But it has been a long time since South Africa hasn’t played a red ball series on Indian soil. India toured South Africa in 2021 and 2023 to play a series of red ball formats.
IND Vs RSA: It Was In 2019 South Africa Played A Test Match Series In India –Â
South Africa has found India as a tough touring place and India has also found the Proteas Nation, the most challenging place to play a red ball match. India has won two back-to-back series of the Test format in Australia. But the Men in Blue haven’t won a single series of the red ball format in the Proteas Nation.
It was five years ago the Proteas played a red ball match or a series in India. 2019 was the last time when the visitors, South Africa had played a red ball series in India and they had lost it by a margin of three nil. Before the Test series, IND Vs RSA had a face-off in the series of the shortest format, which was levelled to one all.
IND Vs RSA: One Highest Run Getter And Wicket Taker From India In That Three Match Test Series Versus South Africa –Â
1. Rohit Sharma –
The Test series versus South Africa in 2019 was the first series where Rohit Sharma batted as an opener in the red ball format. After seeing his success in the limited-overs game as an opening batter, the team management of India decided to promote HITMAN as an opener in the red ball format as well.
Sharma Ji was the highest run-getter for India in that series win versus the Proteas in 2019. India had the top three highest run-getters in that series. Along with Rohit, his opening partner, Mayank Agarwal and the skipper of that series, Virat Kohli had also scored the most runs in that three-match series.
The current skipper of the red ball and ODI format had scored 529 runs from three matches and four innings. His batting average was the second-best in that series. He averaged 132.25. The opener had a best batting strike rate of 77.45. HITMAN had even scored three centuries, which was the most and also smashed the most fours and sixes. Sharma Ji had slammed 62 boundaries and 19 maximums.
2. Ravichandran Ashwin –Â
The legendary spin bowler of the Test format, Ravichandran Ashwin had picked the most wickets in that 2019 series when the Proteas had played the last Test series in India. Ash picked up 15 scalps in that three-match red ball series. Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja had also got the most wickets in that series.
Ashwin had a bowling average of 25.27. His bowling strike rate was the third-best in that series. Ash’s had a strike rate of 55.20. Ashwin’s economy rate in that series win was 3.17. He also picked up one five-wicket haul and his best figure was when Ash picked seven wickets and conceded 145 runs.
Also Read: NZ Vs IND: What Happened When India Toured New Zealand The Last Time For A Red Ball Series In 2020?
