Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh said that he expected the Indian team to be at the top of their game in the third and final Test against South Africa in Cape Town and win their maiden Test series in the rainbow nation.
India won the first Test match in Centurion while the Proteas clawed their way back in the second Test at Johannesburg to level the series. India has never won a Test series in South Africa. India made history by becoming the first Asian team to win a Test in Centurion, but then South Africa created their own record by beating India in Johannesburg for the very first time since 1992.
Despite hosts' leveling the series former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh backs the Indian team to win the series.
"When we toured or any other team toured we never had the luxury of four fast bowlers to bowl at 145 on those pitches and now Team India is full of fast bowlers. They have quality fast bowlers Shami, Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Shardul Thakur. They are top-class bowlers. Had India had those sorts of bowlers been there earlier then India would have achieved this feat much earlier than now.
So, yes it is a great opportunity for India to win the series in South Africa and I hope they do so and in the last game, South Africa played better. They went on to win the game. I think overall Team India in Cape Town will be on top of their game and they will win the series there and that is what I feel," Harbhajan Singh said.
The 3-Test series stands 1-1 with the final Test to begin in Newlands from January 11.
He further compared the current Proteas side to their star-studded unit of yesteryears and called the current team a pale shadow of their past teams.
"South Africa those days were a very different team and a very strong team and honestly with this South African team with all due respect I don't think they have that they don't have it in them to beat India. The Indian team is way too strong for South Africa and the day they were leaving for South Africa I said this is India's best chance to beat South Africa in their backyard because the quality of batting in the South African team is not there," he added.
India has won just 4 Tests in South Africa and their best series result was 1-1 in 2010-11 under the captaincy of MS Dhoni.
(ANI inputs)
