 South African tours to India: A brief history
24th Mar 2008 23:04 IST
Manish Kumar
South Africa first arrived in India for a three-match one-day series in 1991 after nearly 22 years after being isolated from the international fold due to apartheid and it was on that trip that a world-class fast bowler in Allan Donald was discovered.
Donald took 5/29 in his debut ODI at the Eden Gardens in Calcutta but India won the match by 3 wickets thanks to Sachin Tendulkar?s 62. India won the next match at Gwalior also but South Africa earned a consolation win in the final match in New Delhi in a high-scoring encounter under lights, as India took the series 2-1.
It was in 1996 that South Africa arrived in India for their first full Test tour under Hansie Cronje. The tour began with a tri-series also featuring Australia, as South Africa - after winning all their league games - choked in the final against India.
South Africa fancied their chances with a target of 170 in the first Test at Ahmedabad, but Javagal Srinath ran through their batting line-up with 6/21 to seal a win. The second Test at Calcutta witnessed a strong comeback by South Africa, though it was an unforgettable game for individual performances ? Mohammad Azharuddin's blistering century off 74 balls, Lance Klusener's dream debut with innings figures of 8/64, and Gary Kirsten's twin centuries. South Africa were found wanting in the third Test in Kanpur where the ball barely rose above the knee level. Azhar?s 163 set South Africa an improbable target, which the visitors failed to achieve as India took the series 2-1.
The 1999-2000 tour of India by South Africa is not only remembered for a surprising Test series win by the visitors but also for the surfacing of match-fixing allegations. South Africa won the first Test in Mumbai and rubbed it in further by winning the second Test in Bangalore, batting India out of the match and their 0-2 defeat ended one of their most miserable seasons. Importantly, South Africa's series victory ended a 13-year jinx by visiting teams in India.
Tendulkar quit the captaincy and India won the ODI series 3-2 under Sourav Ganguly. The final ODI in Nagpur was famous for the match-fixing allegations against Cronje, Nicky Boje and Henry Williams, which came to light shortly after the tour.
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