India, South Africa: How the teams stack up

India, South Africa: How the teams stack up

IMAGE: India's Captain Virat Kohli. Photograph: BCCI

India have never won a Test series in South Africa, but Virat Kohli's team will go into the three Test series, which begins in Cape Town on Friday, January 5, high on confidence, having won their last nine Test series in a row, including victories in the West Indies and Sri Lanka.

 

Leading India's charge will be Virat Kohli who has been on a golden run with the bat. In the last series against Sri Lanka, he finished with 610 runs, hitting a century in each of the three Tests, including two double hundreds in a row.

The Indian captain has played just two Tests in South Africa. In 2013-2014 he scored a century and a fifty.

Vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane's recent poor run at home won't be a concern if one considers his impressive record overseas and also in South Africa.

Batting pivot Cheteshwar Pujara also enjoys a healthy record in South Africa having done well on his previous two tours.

Openers Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay will be keen to improve their below par figures though.

India's No 1 spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is yet to pick a wicket in South Africa, having played just one Test in that country.

His spin partner Ravindra Jadeja took 6 wickets in the only Test he played there.

Ishant Sharma has visited the African twice, taking 7 wickets in 2010-2011 and 5 in 2013-2014.

Mohammed Shami, who played two Tests on India's last tour to South Africa, has 6 wickets at a strike rate of 75.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav are yet to play in that country while Jasprit Bumrah is yet to make his Test debut.