India in South Africa: Can Virat Kohli rewrite a gloomy history?

2010-11 series under MS Dhoni: India drew Test series 1-1; lost ODI series 2-3; won the only T20 game

The best series India ever have had in South Africa. The Test series had started on a sorry note as India were crushed by an innings and 25 runs in the first game at Centurion. The visitors came back strongly in the second game at Durban, winning it by 87 runs. The series remained tied 1-1 as the third and final game at Cape Town was drawn after an even contest. MS Dhoni thus became the first Indian skipper not to lose a Test series on the South African soil. Jacques Kallis was chosen the man of the series. Sachin Tendulkar was the most successful Indian batsman in this series with 326 runs.

India’s good run continued after the Tests as they won the only T20 game scheduled in the series by 21 runs. Rohit Sharma was adjudged the man of the match for his half century. Johan Botha led the South African in this game.

The five-game ODI series that followed went to hosts 3-2. India were a far better ODI side this time and almost reversed their 2-5 and 0-4 losses in 1992-93 and 2006-07 series, respectively. They went up 2-1 at one stage but lost the final two games of the series by Duckworth-Lewis method, gifting their opponents the series. Virat Kohli and Munaf Patel were the most successful Indian batsman and bowler, respectively, while South Africa’s  Morne Morkel pocketed the man of the series prize.

2013-14 series under MS Dhoni: India lost Test series 0-1; ODI series 0-2

After a decent trip to South Africa in 2010-11, India faced yet another humiliating defeat in the 2013-14 series – both in the ODIs and Tests. This series, led by Dhoni, was comparatively a shorter series featuring three ODIs and two Tests. India lost the ODI series 0-2, facing severe thrashings in the first two games before the final one was abandoned because of rain. AB de Villiers was the captain of the South African side in the ODIs.

The two-Test series also went the hosts’ way as they won the second game at Durban by 10 wickets. The first game at Johannesburg was drawn despite Kohli and CheteshwarPujara hitting tons. This Test was India’s first after the retirement of Tendulkar who hung up his boots in November 2013. Graeme Smith led the South Africans in the Test series. De Villiers was picked as the man of the series in the Tests while in the ODIs, the choice was Quinton de Kock.

India in South Africa: Results in a nutshell

India have won only two Tests in South Africa so far while they have lost eight. Total matches played on South African soil are 17.

In 28 ODIs played between India and South Africa in South Africa, the former have won only five while lost 21. Two were inconclusive.

Six players have captained India in South Africa so far. They are: Azharuddin, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid, Sehwag and Dhoni. Only Dhoni has succeeded in drawing a Test series in SA while none have won any ODI title there.

Besides Australia, South Africa are the only side who India are yet to beat in an away series. In both countries, India’s best results have been 1-1.

Dhoni only captain to win a title in SA so far

Overall, no other captain apart from Dhoni has been able to win a title (bilateral or multi-lateral) in South Africa since they returned to international cricket from the ban. The only instance when an Indian side won a trophy in South Africa so far is the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 and Dhoni was the skipper of that team.

That apart, Ganguly came close to winning a trophy in the 2003 ICC World Cup but his side was thrashed by Australia in the final. India finished second to South Africa in the finals of the triangular tournament played there twice (Tendulkar and Ganguly were the skippers on those occasions) while the likes of Azharuddin, Dravid, Sehwag and Dhoni (twice) tasted bitter defeats in bilateral ODI series.

In 2009-10, Dhoni’s India also failed to make the knock-outs in the Champions Trophy played in South Africa. India though have won a couple of T20 games in the 2006-07 and 2010-11 series. Kohli has a world to conquer when he sets his foot in South Africa in a few days. Can he?