This list features some of the most amazing batting displays by Indians against Proteas at home.
South Africa share a long history with India, which goes back to 1991 when they came here for an ODI series in what was their first international engagement after 22 years of a ban due to apartheid. Since then, the two sides have seen some amazing encounters, as South Africa became the first team to beat India in India in 2000 after a long time.
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In every series, Indian batsmen have ruled the roost against South Africa and have played some memorable innings in Test matches. Team COC brings to you the best innings played by Indian batsmen against South Africa.
Check out the best 5 performances by Indian batsmen against South Africa in Tests at home
100- SACHIN TENDULKAR, Nagpur, 2010
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In reply, India only managed 233 runs with Virender Sehwag slamming 109 runs, as Dale Steyn blew them away with figures of 7/51. Naturally, India was asked to follow-on and fared a little better, scoring 319 runs. This time, Sachin Tendulkar stood upto the Proteas bowling attack with a sublime 100 in 179 balls with 13 fours. His innings almost helped India make South Africa bat again, but fell short, losing the match by an innings and 6 runs.
132*- MS DHONI, Kolkata, 2010
South Africa batted first and scored 296 runs with Alviro Petersen making 100 and Amla scoring 114. India knew they had to put up big runs on the board to put Proteas under fire. Therefore, Sehwag scored 165, Tendulkar made 106, and Laxman made 143*. If that was not enough, skipper MS Dhoni felt that some more runs were needed in case they were short.
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He got to work and clobbered 132* in 187 balls with 12 fours and 3 sixes taking the Indian team to 643/6d. This inning was a pure example of how brutal Test cricket can be as Dhoni hit both spinners and fast bowlers with disdain and brought up his century in 158 balls.
It eventually helped India win the match by an innings and 57 runs with Harbhajan Singh picking 8 wickets, including a fifer in the second innings.
127 & 100*- AJINKYA RAHANE, Delhi, 2015
Enter Ajinkya Rahane. His 127 helped India put on 334 runs on a difficult pitch to bat on and he was helped by R Ashwin’s 56. Rahane was sublime in tacking Proteas bowling featuring Morne Morkel, Kyle Abbott, who picked 5/40 and spinners Dane Piedt and Imran Tahir.
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South Africa was blown away for just 121 runs in their first innings thanks to Ravindra Jadeja’s 5/30. In the second innings, Morne Morkel put India in a spot of bother by removing the top three in M Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma for cheap. However, skipper Virat Kohli made 88 and Ajinkya Rahane made another 100*, his second century of the match, helping India to 264/5d and setting the opposition a target of 481 runs.
Rahane was the Man of the Match for his twin centuries as India won the series 3-0 and proved for once and all that he was the man for the crisis for the Indian team.
163*- MOHAMMAD AZHARUDDIN, Kanpur, 1996
This was the 3rd Test of the three-match series between India and South Africa in 1996. The encounters had been amazing and it all came down to this Test in Kanpur with series tied 1-1. India captain Sachin Tendulkar won the toss and chose to bat first on a tricky pitch at the Green Park Stadium.
But Paul Adams picked 6/55 and stopped India at 237 runs with WV Raman and skipper Tendulkar making half-centuries. Indian bowlers hit back with Anil Kumble picking 4/71 and Javagal Srinath picking 3/42 and South Africa team was bowled out for 177, giving India a lead of 60 runs.
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India had to stretch that lead into something substantial but the top four batsmen couldn’t make much scores and it came down to the experience of Mohammad Azharuddin who slammed 163* in 229 balls with 25 fours and 1 six. With helping contributions from Rahul Dravid, Kumble, Ganguly, and Tendulkar, Azhar pummeled the Proteas bowling attack into submission and helped India reach 400/7d and set a target of 461 runs. South Africa could only manage 180 as Srinath and Joshi picked three wickets each and India won the Test by 280 runs and the series 2-1.
Azharuddin was named the Man of the Match. He has scored a brutal 109 in the Kolkata Test earlier in the series against a rampaging Donald, Pollock, and a debutant Lance Klusener. Though Klusener picked 8/64 in the second innings, he was hit for five boundaries in an over by Azhar during his century in first innings, after he was hit on his elbow and came out to seek vengeance against South African bowlers. He was rightly named Man of the Series as well.
319- VIRENDER SEHWAG, Chennai, 2008
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Then came the reply in form of a superlative 319 from Sehwag, which made him one of the only four batsmen in Tests to make two triple centuries in Test cricket, with the other three being Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, and Sir Don Bradman. Sehwag had already become the first Indian to make a 300 against Pakistan in 2004 and repeated his feat in Chennai heat, sending the South African bowlers on a leather hunt.
Sehwag reached his 300 in 278 balls, which is the fastest triple century in Test history and finished on 319 with 42 fours and 5 sixes, in 304 balls. Rahul Dravid made 111 and added 268 runs for the second wicket. The match was drawn but will go down in history thanks to Virender Sehwag’s amazing innings.
Virender Sehwag boasts of a brilliant record against South Africa at home making 4 centuries and a total of 924 runs in 7 Tests at an average of 84.00.