South Africa vs India ODI series: Virat Kohli’s boys will be keen to succeed

After an absorbing three-match Test series which South Africa won 2-1, India are all set to lock horns with the Proteas in a six-match One-Day International (ODI) series starting February 1. Like in Tests, India do not have a good record in South Africa in ODIs either and Virat Kohli’s men will have to show a lot of character to make amends this time.

India have won just five ODIs against South Africa in their den in six tours they have made since 1992 while losing 21! Three games have been inconclusive. Here is a look at past ODIs that India played against South Africa on their soil, losing four times more than they won:

1992 bilateral series: India lost seven-match series 2-5

It was India’s first-ever visit to South Africa and they lost the ODI series comprehensively. Led by Mohammad Azharuddin, India could never strike as a batting unit in this series except in bits and pieces, allowing South African bowlers dominate on their own terms. Sachin Tendulkar had an ordinary series and India’s only century in that series came from left-handed opening batsman Woorkeri Raman.

Current coach Ravi Shastri had played a decisive role in India’s first win in the series. Azharuddin himself was in good nick but could do little to win games for his side. Indian bowlers only scalped 35 South African wickets in seven games, making their success percentage a mere 50. Overall, there is nothing to write much about that forgettable series.

1997 triangular series: India lost all games versus South Africa

The second ODI series in South Africa went even worse for India since they could not win a single game against the Proteas. Captained by Sachin Tendulkar, India played the hosts thrice in a triangular series involving Zimbabwe and they lost three times in the league matches besides in the final. Tendulkar again had a bad outing against South Africa although he completed 5,000 runs in ODIs in the final which was abandoned.

2001 triangular series: India managed to beat SA only once

Led by Sourav Ganguly, India did a notch better as they managed to beat South Africa once in the league matches in Centurion although the end result was no different. The hosts defeated India twice in the league phase and also in the final to lift the trophy. For India, however, the rocking opening partnership between captain Ganguly and Tendulkar was a high point of the series which had Kenya as the third side.

2006 bilateral series: India were bulldozed 0-4

This was a time when India just came out of the Ganguly era. The ODI team, led by Rahul Dravid and later by Virender Sehwag after the former was injured, was thrashed 0-4 by the South Africans with all matches proving to be one-sided. India were beaten by 157 runs, 106 runs, 80 runs and 9 wickets in the remaining games after the first was washed out. It is one of the worst ODI series India played despite having the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid, Sehwag and MS Dhoni in their ranks.

2011 bilateral series: India lost five-match series 2-3

This is India’s best-losing margin in South Africa till date. MS Dhoni’s side was hammered by 135 runs in the first game but they won next two to come very close to a series win. But the Proteas won the last two games to pocket the series.

Yusuf Pathan’s 105 off 70 balls in the series decider after India were reduced to 98 for 7 while chasing 268 is one of the most memorable innings by an Indian in South Africa in ODIs. The defeat was disappointing but it was the most gallant defeat India tasted in South Africa.

2013 bilateral series: India lost three-match series 0-2

India bit the dust in this series which was clearly Quinton de Kock’s best as the wicketkeeper-batsman hit three consecutive centuries in as many games. Dhoni-led India were humbled by 141 and 134 runs in the two games (the third was abandoned) as their batsmen showed little character in chasing big targets set by the hosts.

This was the third series in South Africa where India failed to beat the hosts even once.Virat Kohli played in both series in 2011 and 2013 but he is yet to score a century in South Africa. He has so far hit two fifties there.

Now, coming to the upcoming series, it will be second-longest after 1992 and there will be no shortage of the fireworks, given the fact that both India and South Africa are quality ODI sides, ranking second and first respectively in ICC team rankings at the moment.

India’s ODI side looks more balanced than the Test

India’s advantage lies in the fact some of their senior players like Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan would double up in the 50-over format after the failure in the Tests. The lies of YuzvendraChahal and Axar Patel will add variation to India’s spin department. Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav and the sensational Hardik Pandya add a different dimension to India’s ODI batting line-up and there is, of course, the evergreen Mahendra Singh Dhoni who will be making his fourth visit to South Africa.

The pace bowling department will also be assuring the skipper after the impressive run the Bumrahs, Shamis and BhuvneshwarKumars had in the just-concluded Test series. And the presence of Kohli and AjinkyaRahane makes the batting line-up look even more formidable. South Africa will also have specialist ODI players in their ranks like JP Duminy and Imran Tahir and with AB de Villiers, de Kock and skipper Faf du Plessis importing the ‘explosive’ element, the challenge will be high for the Indian bowlers to meet.

The six games will be played in Durban (Feb 1), Centurion (Feb 4), Cape Town (Feb 7), Johannesburg (Feb 10), Port Elizabeth (Feb 13) and Centurion (February 16).

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