The three-match Test series between India and South Africa was one of the most exciting series in recent times. While India went in with the hope to clinch the unconquered land of South Africa, the hosts looked to maintain their fine record at home. The series ended as a spectacle for the fans with controversies, match-winning knocks, and comebacks being witnessed throughout.

India won the Boxing Test with their historic win at Centurion &#8211; going one up in the series, but the Proteas fought back with the heroics of captain Dean Elgar, chasing down 240 in the fourth innings to level the series. The decider did not pan out the way the Indian Test captain Virat Kohli would have liked, as he would have been the first captain to win a test series in South Africa.

Youngster Keegan Petersen anchored the chase handing South Africa a 7-wicket win to seal the series 2-1. The series witnessed a lot of records being made and broken as well as numerous match-winning innings.

Let’s look at the best-combined XI of the recently concluded India vs South Africa Test series:

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-594874" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Dean-Elgar-1.jpg" alt="Dean Elgar" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-594874" class="wp-caption-text">Dean Elgar. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption>

Leading the Proteas into a much-awaited Test clash against the World Test No.1 Team, the South African captain <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/it-played-nicely-into-our-hands-dean-elgar-feels-indias-reaction-to-drs-incident-benefited-south-africa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dean Elgar</a> did little wrong in this series. With sheer intent and resilience, the captain deserves a lot of credit for the team&#8217;s comeback.

Having only played six Tests in 2021 before this series, it wouldn’t have been the easiest bowling attack to face for the southpaw. From taking blows off the Indian pacers, to producing a blow as the architect of the great victory at Johannesburg with his fine 96*, the captain stood for long hours defending his wicket and building up partnerships, often unsettling the Indian team.

Elgar ended the series with 235 runs at an average of 47.00 helping the team remain unbeaten at home in a series against India in Test cricket. With two half-centuries to his name and 578 balls faced- the maximum by any player in the series, made the addition of his name to this list, a no brainer. He will lead the combined XI of the recently concluded series.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-593978" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/KL-Rahul-1.jpg" alt="KL Rahul" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-593978" class="wp-caption-text">KL Rahul. (Photo by PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption>

The 29-year-old opener came into the series with a lot of limelight. From being named as India&#8217;s vice-captain for Test series to ending the year as the ODI captain for the ODI series, 2021 ended on a perfect note for <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/wicketkeeper-cannot-be-an-opening-batter-in-tests-gautam-gambhir-on-kl-rahul-taking-the-gloves-in-longest-format/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KL Rahul</a>.

The first Test at Centurion was a perfect exhibition of classic Test cricket batting by the Indian opener. After India opted to bat first, the opening pair of Rahul and Mayank saw off the new ball and accelerated the innings to put up a fine opening stand of 117 runs. KL did not stop there as he went on to convert his well-built innings into a century, putting India in the driver’s seat for the rest of the match.

The captaincy duties in the second Test with Virat resting didn’t hold back Rahul from continuing his style of play and adding himself to the elite list of players scoring 50s on Test captaincy debut.

Ending the series as India’s highest scorer in the series, Rahul continued to prove his worth as the team&#8217;s first-choice opener. Scoring 226 in the six innings and facing the second-highest number of balls this series (545), his judgement outside the off stump left the Proteas bowlers with a lot of work to do. KL Rahul will be the opening partner for Dean Elgar in the combined XI.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-596917" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Keegan-Petersen-2.jpg" alt="Keegan Petersen" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-596917" class="wp-caption-text">Keegan Petersen. (Photo by RODGER BOSCH/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption>

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/sa-vs-ind-keegan-petersen-grabs-a-stunning-one-handed-catch-at-leg-slip-to-dismiss-cheteshwar-pujara-in-cape-town/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Keegan Petersen</a>. This name haunted the Indian bowlers each time he set out to bat for South Africa. He was only a couple of Tests old before he stood against what he expressed as the most challenging bowling attack he had faced in his whole career.

The aggressive right-hander was without a doubt the find of the series. Coming one down for the Proteas, Petersen tackled and produced at least one match-winning innings in both second and third decider Test. The top-order batsman bettered his stats in three of the last four innings ending at his highest score of 82. His half-centuries in the last two Tests put South Africa in commanding positions leaving the Men in Blue short of answers.

Petersen was not only adjudged the player of the Test match at Newlands but also the player of the series for his 276 runs in the three Test match. A hero of the Proteas victory, the 28-year-old is going to be the batter to look out for in the near future.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-596231" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-and-Cheteshwar-Pujara.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-596231" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Virat Kohli was amongst the few names to watch out for during the series against South Africa. With a lot going against him with the recent change of leadership in the shorter format of the sport, there was a lot of talk about him. His recent form and the inability to reach his 71st century has also been a hot topic every time a series is around the corner.

It seemed like the Indian Test captain’s nemesis, the off-side-trap, caught up with him again. It is unfair to say that <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/not-sure-that-should-be-happening-from-a-captain-of-an-international-team-shane-warne-adam-gilchrist-react-to-virat-kohlis-stump-mic-comments/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virat Kohli</a> had a dismal series as he spent a lot of time constructing his innings, looked extremely confident throughout, but eventually fished outside off, more often than not. A back spasm led to him missing the 2nd Test but his resilience in the third Test is what stood out in the three-match series.

A classic 79 off 201 balls in the first innings might be one of his hardest yet memorable innings. In the 273 minutes he was at the crease, Kohli kept the scoreboard ticking as he inched towards a much-awaited double-figure mark just to fall short of the batsmen at the other end and facing the majority of the deliveries. He continued this determination in the second innings scoring 29 off 143 deliveries.

In his 4 innings, Captain Kohli scored a total of 161 runs at an average of 40.25. While the last Test was a subject of controversy, he would have surely wanted to clinch the series conquering all the overseas conditions. For his courageous and determined innings with the bat and leading the Indian team to a historic win at Centurion, Virat Kohli is the fourth player in the combined XI.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-351181" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/CT_361689.jpg" alt="Bavuma" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-351181" class="wp-caption-text">South Africa&#8217;s Temba Bavuma .(Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption>

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/just-not-cricket-very-poor-twitter-unimpressed-as-mohammed-siraj-grounds-temba-bavuma-with-needless-throw/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Temba Bavuma</a> was a silent assassin in the Proteas victory against India. The top-order batter was a tough cookie to crack for the Indian bowlers, being amongst the runs in each of the six innings he played this series. His solid defensive strokes and the ability to change gears played an instrumental role in South Africa’s fightback after being one down in the series.

Analyzing each of his six innings, Bavuma was the lone half centurion in a low scoring 197 in the first innings of the Boxing Day Test. He carried his form to the second innings and spent 133 minutes for his 35 just to find himself short of partners at the other end. The captain of Proteas limited overs format took an attacking route at the Wanderers scoring 51 at a strike rate of 85.00 falling victim to Shardul Thakur who turned to be the breakthrough bowler for the Indians.

Along with captain Elgar, he assisted and was amidst the action as South Africa emerged victorious in the second Test. The third Test went in a similar fashion as he scored the winning runs for SA. Bavuma ended up as one of the biggest gainers in the ICC Test rankings, jumping 16 steps following his contributions in the first Test. He was one of the players who enjoyed the time in the middle and therefore gets added to the combined XI in the recently concluded Test series.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-596756" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rishabh-Pant-7.jpg" alt="Rishabh Pant" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-596756" class="wp-caption-text">Rishabh Pant. (Photo by Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images/Getty Images)</figcaption>

The place of the wicketkeeper has been unquestioned for quite some time now with <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/twitter-reactions-rishabh-pant-sizzles-with-a-sparkling-century-before-controversy-takes-centre-stage-in-cape-town/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rishabh Pant</a> adding valuable contribution for the Indians time and again. Entering the series as India’s second-highest run-getter in Test cricket in 2021, there were bound to be a lot of expectations.

Pant would be a happy man, ending the series breaking a lot of records and setting higher standards for himself. He scripted his name as the first Asian wicket-keeper to slam three centuries in Tests in SENA countries. Not only this, all of his four hundreds have come in four different countries. The bouncy South African pitches troubled the young and agile Pant little as he became the fastest Indian wicketkeeper to effect 100 dismissals in Tests.

His shot selection came under the scanner and ignited a lot of debate in India’s loss in the second Test with experts claiming his batting to be reckless. But his crucial century in the following Test was enough to turn the tables and shut the critics.

His free-flowing innings in the 3 matches accounted for 186 runs averaging 37.20. While the majority of the Indian batters failed to reach the double-figure mark in the second innings of the decider Test, Pant’s control and clarity showed that he is still amongst the match winners and gets a place in the combined XI squad in the role of a wicket-keeper.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-594277" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Shardul-Thakur-v-South-Africa.jpg" alt="Shardul Thakur v South Africa" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-594277" class="wp-caption-text">Shardul Thakur v South Africa. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-was-one-of-those-guys-who-questioned-him-aakash-chopra-in-awe-of-shardul-thakurs-skills-after-johannesburg-show/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shardul Thakur</a>, in his short Test career, has been India’s lucky charm. A charm which the Indian team would wish to continue. India, before this series, had never lost a Test match that featured the all-rounder in the playing XI. While the tradition continued with the Men in Blue clinching a historic win in the Boxing Test, things went downhill from thereon as they ended up losing the series 1-2.

Thakur must have had a series to remember. His sensational figures in the second Test left the hosts speechless with each delivery preying a new victim of the South African batting. He overtook Harbhajan Singh to record the best bowling figures (7/61) in an innings among Indian bowlers in South Africa. There is something about his bowling that manages to create a breakthrough for Indians and the Proteas could just hope to play out his overs. Shardul also managed to produce a batting cameo in the second Test with a quick 28 off 24 against his name.

He ended the series as India’s second-highest wicket-taker with 12 scalps while also scoring 59 runs. An all-rounder like him can help any team during different situations like he occasionally did during the season. Shardul Thakur is now the fourth Indian to feature in this list of the combined best XI of the series.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-525372" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kagiso-Rabada-1.jpg" alt="Kagiso Rabada" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-525372" class="wp-caption-text">Kagiso Rabada. (Photo by RANDY BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption>

Aggressive. Lethal. Accurate. Experience. Words often don’t do justice to the quality <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/im-nowhere-near-done-kagiso-rabada-aims-to-go-a-long-way-ahead-of-50th-test/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kagiso Rabada</a> adds to the Proteas bowling lineup. The leader of their attack, he managed to dismantle India’s batting unit, ending the series as the highest wicket-taker.

While the no. 6 ranked Test bowler struggled with no balls this series, his lengths and accuracy still place him amongst the best bowlers in the world. This series saw Rabada complete 400 wickets in international cricket as well as measuring up to Allan Donald in the most wickets taken in a series against India in South Africa.

Being a tall bowler, his unexpected bouncers troubled the Indian batters, with the pitch offering a lot to the pacers. Even during the defeat in the first Test, he managed to end the match with a total of 7 wickets.

A wicket-taker in all the innings, Rabada didn’t let India score, which ultimately built pressure upon them. Scalping 20 with the best figures of 4/42 at an average of 19.05, he was South Africa’s star performer in the three matches, helping him find a place in the combined XI.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-594722" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Jasprit-Bumrah-and-Marco-Jansen-2.jpg" alt="Jasprit Bumrah and Marco Jansen" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-594722" class="wp-caption-text">Jasprit Bumrah and Marco Jansen. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images)</figcaption>

Finding a place in the XI against a quality side like India is one thing. However, making your Test debut as well as succeeding to be one of the best wicket-takers in the series, is commendable. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/sa-vs-ind-rishabh-pant-savagely-defends-himself-after-marco-jansen-throws-ball-at-him-in-cape-town/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marco Jansen</a> ticked all those boxes as he presents himself to be an emerging talent for the Proteas.

This series showcased a young left-handed bowler who could be ruling the wicket charts soon. Tall and promising, Jansen justified that his selections produced breakthroughs for the Proteas throughout the series. A combination of pace, swing and bounce certainly unsettles a batter, something which Jansen delivered each time he went out to bowl for the hosts. His contribution of five wickets at SuperSport Park helped him enter the ICC rankings too.

The left-hander fell just a wicket short to end as the second-highest wicket-taker (19) of the series behind his countryman Rabada. With 29 maidens, the most in the series, Jansen gained an upper hand against the Indian lineup as he claimed a place in the best-combined XI of the series.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-524529" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Lungi-Ngidi-South-Africa.jpg" alt="Lungi Ngidi South Africa" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-524529" class="wp-caption-text">Lungi Ngidi. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

The South African bowling unit managed to bowl out India in each of the six innings. Emerging victorious in two of the three Tests, an important member of their pace attack &#8211; the tall and imposing Lungi Ngidi with his laser pace and bounce, leaving the batters on the backfoot.

Another player who gained immensely in the bowling ranking, the fast bowler’s match figures of 8/102, including 6/71 in the first innings of the first Test, resulted in a 16 place jump to no. 30 among bowlers. He managed to manoeuvre the innings towards South Africa’s advantage with a three-wicket haul on two or more occasions. The movement he produced with the ball helped the Indian batter to fish for it, only to get caught in the slips many times.

The <a href="http://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/south-africa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South African</a> bowlers dominated the wicket-taking stats as Ngidi stood third with 15 against his name at an average as low as 15.00. Being the only Proteas bowler with a five-wicket haul in the series, the list will be incomplete without the services of Ngidi in the XI.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-594872" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Jasprit-Bumrah-1.jpg" alt="Jasprit Bumrah" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-594872" class="wp-caption-text">Jasprit Bumrah. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption>

The Indian bowlers could only do so much to create an impact in the match. The batting collapses in a couple of innings led to smaller totals being defended by the Indian team. A couple of bowlers who rose to the occasions where unsurprisingly, the experienced <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-dont-really-pay-attention-to-outside-noise-jasprit-bumrah/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jasprit Bumrah</a> and Mohd. Shami. However, his contributions with the bat is what gave the stand-in vice-captain in the second Test an edge.

Bumrah was amongst the wickets in almost all the innings he bowled. Troubling the batters with the unusual bounce and swing, he struck when India needed the most. When the Proteas seemed to be eyeing at a huge score in the third Test with Petersen set on 72, a bit of an extra bounce a length ball around off was enough to find the outside edge handing a lead to the Indians in their second innings.

He replicated a similar ball to Petersen in the second innings that might have given India an upper hand, only to get dropped by Pujara. Throughout the series, Bumrah managed to contribute with the bat, something which he has been working on lately.

He ended the series with a total of 12 wickets with a best figures of 5/42 which he received appreciation for. His huge sixes off Rabada in the second Test will surely be the highlight of the 44 runs he scored in three matches. A leader of the Indian pace attack, it’s difficult for Bumrah to not be a part of the best XI.

South Africa came back well after losing the opening Test to win the series 2-1.

SA vs IND: Best XI of the Test series

Here we bring you combined XI of the three-match Test series between South Africa and India (SA vs IND) with Elgar to lead.

SA vs IND: Best XI of the Test series

South Africa came back well after losing the opening Test to win the series 2-1.

2. KL Rahul