India National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team Timeline: Moments, Iconic Performances and Historic matches

Cricket, with all its exciting drama, has featured many epic matches. One of the most interesting rivalries is between India and South Africa. Here’s a look at their history, highlights, and key moments. India vs. South Africa has given us some unforgettable games, with thrilling finishes and record-breaking performances that have kept fans hooked for years.

Let’s go back and revisit the important events that have shaped the India-South Africa cricket rivalry. This India national cricket team vs South Africa national cricket team timeline will bring back old memories and show how these two top teams have changed and grown over the years.

India National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team Timeline

Origins of the Rivalry

The cricket rivalry between South Africa and India started in the early 1990s. After apartheid ended, South Africa returned to international cricket, and their first tour of India in 1991 kicked off a strong and exciting rivalry. The first ODI match between the teams was played in November 1991 in Kolkata, where India won. India won the series 2-1, but the games were very close, setting the stage for a fierce and exciting rivalry. This first series set the stage for many more exciting games in the future.

South Africa played their first Test series in India during 1996-1997, marking an important moment for both teams. The series had three matches, and India won 2 out of 3 games.

Growth of Rivalry: 1990s

First ODI appearance

In 1991, South Africa made a big comeback to international cricket after years of being banned due to apartheid. Their first ODI series was against India, and that’s where the rivalry began. The first ODI took place on November 10, 1991, in Kolkata. South Africa, led by Clive Rice, faced India, which was captained by Mohammad Azharuddin. South Africa lost that match by 3 wickets, but their return to international cricket was a significant event.

The First Test Series

The first Test series between India and South Africa happened in South Africa during 1992-93. South Africa won the series 1-0, with their victory in the first Test in Durban. Allan Donald, known as “White Lightning,” was especially tough on Indian batsmen with his fast and precise bowling. Despite India’s efforts, South Africa’s strong performance in both batting and bowling secured their first Test series win against India.

The IND vs SA Rivalry Intensifies between 1996 to 2000

During South Africa’s tour of India in 1996-97, the series was a thrilling event. South Africa won the first Test in Ahmedabad thanks to Lance Klusener impressive 8 for 64. The series ended 2-1 in favor of South Africa, with India managing to win the second Test in Kolkata.

The 1999-2000 series in India showed South Africa’s dominance. They won the Test series 2-0, with strong victories in Mumbai and Bangalore. Under Hansie Cronje’s captaincy, and with the fast bowling of Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock, South Africa had India struggling throughout the series.

IND vs SA Rivalry: Memorable Matches and Performances between 2000 to 2010

The 2001 Test series in South Africa is famous for its tough competition and standout performances. In the second Test in Port Elizabeth, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman scored incredible centuries, helping India achieve a memorable win. Even though South Africa won the series 1-0, India’s fighting spirit was impressive.

In the 2006-07 series, India made history with their first-ever Test win in South Africa. This win, thanks to Sreesanth’s exciting bowling and solid batting, was a big moment. Despite South Africa winning the series 2-1, India’s victory in Johannesburg was a key highlight.

IND vs SA Rivalry: Modern Era 2010-Present

The 2010-11 series in South Africa was a clash of two strong teams, ending in a 1-1 draw. Both teams played great cricket, with Sachin Tendulkar’s century in Cape Town and Jacques Kallis’ strong performances being key moments.

Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell series against South Africa in 2013 was emotional for cricket fans. India lost the series 1-0, but Tendulkar’s final games and the competitive cricket made it special.

India’s 2018 tour of South Africa was tough, ending in a 2-1 series loss. However, India showed great spirit, with Virat Kohli’s century in Centurion and Jasprit Bumrah’s impressive bowling standing out.

The 2021-22 series in South Africa continued the rivalry with South Africa winning 2-1. India’s performance, especially their 113-run victory in the first Test in Centurion, was notable. KL Rahul’s century and Mohammed Shami’s bowling were highlights.

ICC T20 Cricket World Cup 2024 Final

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final stands out as one of the most memorable matches in the India-South Africa rivalry. Held at Barbados, India defeated South Africa in a nail biting contest by just 7 runs. Virat Kohli played an impressive innings of 76 runs that helped the team recover from an early dismissal. This victory marked India’s second World Cup triumph and was a major highlight for Indian cricket.

IND vs SA Rivalry: Key Players and Memorable Performances

Several key players have made a big impact in the matches between the India and South Africa cricket teams:

Indian Cricket Legends

For India, legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Anil Kumble have played crucial roles in their team’s success. More recently, stars like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah have continued this strong tradition.

South African Cricket Legends

On the South African side, players such as Allan Donald, Jacques Kallis, and AB de Villiers have been key to their team’s achievements. Today, players like Kagiso Rabada, Quinton de Kock, and Faf du Plessis keep South Africa’s competitive edge alive.

ICC Matches Between India and South Africa

India and South Africa have faced each other in several ICC tournaments, India has an upper hand in ICC Tournament. Checkout below to know more about:

ODI ICC World Cup

South Africa and India have faced off in 6 matches in ICC ODI World Cup tournaments and both teams have won 3 matches.  The highest score for these encounters is 328 runs scored by India. The lowest score posted by South Africa is 83 runs, while India’s lowest is 180 runs in this marquee event. Whether it’s online cricket satta or edge-of-your-seat action, India vs South Africa rivalry never fails to excite fans.

ICC T20 World Cup

India and South Africa have faced off 6 times in the T20 World Cup, India has dominated by winning 4 matches. In the T20 World Cup 2024 final, India beat South Africa by 7 runs and won the title.

ICC Champions Trophy

India has played South Africa three times before in the Champions Trophy, and India won every time (in 2000, 2002, and 2013).

India National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team Stats

Tournament	Matches Played	India Won	South Africa Won	Draw/Tie/No Result
ODI World Cup	06	03	003	00
T20 World Cup	06	04	02	00
Champions Trophy	03	03	00	00
World Test Championship	00	00	00	00
Total	15	10	05	00

IND vs SA Head-to-Head (Test)

Matches	India Wins	South Africa Wins	D/T/NR
44	16	18	10

IND vs SA Head to Head (ODI)

Matches	India Wins	South Africa Wins	Tied/NR
94	40	51	03

IND vs SA Head to Head (T20I)

Matches	India Wins	South Africa Wins	Tied
27	11	15	01

IND vs SA Records (Test)

Highest Totals in an Innings

Runs	Team	Venue	Year
643/6d	India	Kolkata	2010
627	India	Chennai	2008
620/4d	South Africa	Centurion	2010

Lowest Totals in an Innings

Runs	Team	Venue	Year
55	South Africa	Cape Town	2024
66	India	Durban	1996
76	India	Ahmedabad	2008

Greatest Win

Margin	Winning Team	Venue	Year
Inns and 202 Runs	India	Ranchi	2019
Inns and 137 Runs	India	Pune	2019
Inns and 90 Runs	South Africa	Ahmedabad	2008

Smallest Victories

Margin	Winning Team	Venue	Year
63 Runs	India	Johannesburg	2018
4 Wickets	South Africa	Mumbai	2000
64 Runs	India	Ahmedabad	1996

Individual Records

Most Runs by Individuals

Runs	Player	Span
1741	Sachin Tendulakr (IND)	1992-2011
1734	Jacques Kallis (SA)	2000-2013
1528	Hashim Amla (SA)	2004-2018

Highest Individual Score

Runs	Player	Venue	Date
319	Virendra Sehwag (IND)	Chennai	26 Mar 2008
254*	Virat Kohli (IND)	Pune	10 Oct 2019
253*	Hashim Amla (SA)	Nagpur	06 Feb 2010

Most Wickets

Wickets	Player	Matches	Bowling Average
84	Anil Kumble (IND)	21	31.79
65	Dale Steyn (SA)	14	21.53
64	Jawagal Srinath	13	24.48

Best Bowling Figures in an Innings

Bowling	Player	Venue	Date
8/64	Lance Klusener (SA)	Kolkata	27 Nov 1996
7/51	Dale Steyn (SA)	Nagpur	06 Feb 2010
7/61	Shardul Thakur (IND)	Johannesburg	03 Jan 2022

IND vs SA Records (ODIs)

Highest Innings Total

Score	Team	Venue	Date
438/4	South Africa	Mumbai	25 Oct 2015
401/3	India	Gwalior	24 Feb 2010
365/2	South Africa	Ahmedabad	27 Feb 2010

Lowest Innings Total

Score	Team	Venue	Date
83	South Africa	Kolkata	5 Nov 2023
91	India	Durban	22 Nov 2006
99	South Africa	Delhi	11 Oct 2022

Largest Victory

Margin	Winning Team	Venue	Year
243 Runs	India	Kolkata	5 Nov 2023
10 wickets	South Africa	Sharjah	22 Mar 2000

Smallest Victory

Margin	Winning Team	Venue	Year
1 Run	India	Jaipur	2010
2 Wickets	South Africa	Faridabad	2000

Most Runs (Individual)

Runs	Player	Span
2001	Sachin Tendulkar (IND)	1992-2011
1535	Jacques Kallis (SA)	1996-2013
1504	Virat Kohli (IND)	2010-2023

Highest Individual Score

Runs	Player	Venue	Date
200*	SR Tendulkar (IND)	Gwalior	24 Feb 2010
160*	Virat Kohli (IND)	Cape Town	07 Feb 2018
150	Rohit Sharma (IND)	Kanpur	11 Oct 2015

Most Wickets in a Career

Wickets	Player	Matches	Bowling Average
48	Shaun Pollock (SA)	33	24.47
46	Allan Donald (SA)	26	21.15
46	Anil Kumble (IND)	40	32.00

Best Bowling Figures

Bowling	Player	Venue	Date
5/6	Sunil Joshi (IND)	Nairobi	26 Sep 1999
5/22	Yuzvendra Chahal (IND)	Centurion	04 Feb 2018
5/29	Allan Donald (SA)	Kolkata	10 Nov 1991

IND vs SA Records (T20Is)

Highest Innings Total

Score	Team	Venue	Date
237/3	India	Guwahati	2 Oct 2022
227/3	South Africa	Indore	4 Oct 2022
221/3	South Africa	Guwahati	2 Oct 2022

Lowest Innings Total

Score	Team	Venue	Date
87	South Africa	Rajkot	17 Jun 2022
92	India	Cuttack	5 Oct 2015
95	South Africa	Johannesburg	14 Dec 2023

Most Runs (Individual)

Runs	Player	Span
452	David Miller (SA)	2011-2024
429	Rohit Sharma (IND)	2007-2024
394	Virat Kohli (IND)	2011-2024

Highest Score (Individual)

Runs	Player	Venue	Date
106*	David Miller (SA)	Guwahati	02 Oct 2022
106	Rohit Sharma (IND)	Dharamsala	02 Oct 2015
101	Suresh Raina (IND)	Gros Islet	02 May 2010

Most Wickets (Individual)

Wickets	Player	Matches	Economy
14	Bhuvneshwar Kumar (IND)	12	6.69
12	Keshav Maharaj (SA)	11	8.45
11	R Ashwin (IND)	10	7.20

Best Bowling Figures

Bowling	Player	Venue	Date
5/17	Kuldeep Yadav (IND)	Johannesburg	14 Dec 2023
5/24	Bhuvneshwar Kumar (IND)	Johannesburg	18 Feb 2018
4/13	RP Singh (IND)	Durban	20 Sep 2007

India National Cricket Team and the South Africa National Cricket Team time is a great series and example of sportsmanship and respect. Over the years, it has given cricket fans around the world many thrilling and emotional moments. Whether it’s a tense Test match, a fast-paced ODI, or a thrilling T20 game, the matches between these two cricket giants are always full of excitement and drama. As both teams keep improving and aiming for the best, the India vs South Africa rivalry will continue to be one of the most loved and celebrated rivalries in cricket.

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