India’s ODI record in South Africa is extremely poor. So when the ICC hosted the ODI World Cup for the first time in the country in 2003, BCCI and Indian fans were not expecting. Although India reached the final, the team’s ODI records have only deteriorated over the years, with three of the last four series ending with defeats. India were almost washed out 4-0 in 2006-07. Four years later, under MS Dhoni, India came very close to defeating South Africa, losing only 2-3. In 2013, weary of excessive cricket, Dhoni’s team luckily averted the thrashing of 2006, thanks to rain as Quinton de Kock scored three centuries in a row. It was only in 2018 that India punched above their weight, beating South Africa 1-5 in the six-match ODI series. Over the years, India’s brand of ODI cricket has also undergone a change. Can they repeat what they did in 2018? At that point, they had lost the Test! We take a look at how India fared in the Rainbow Nation in the years beginning 2006.
India tour of South Africa (2006-07): It was a different era of Indian cricket. The Indian team, led by Greg Chappell and Rahul Dravid, landed in South Africa in perhaps the worst mood ever. They were not winning at all, the initial knockouts of the ICC Champions Trophy played in India made the situation worse. India was probably at its lowest point; The pace and bounce were certainly not welcome. But how can it not be served when you’re in South Africa? beat India 4-0; Nevertheless, it certainly could have been 5–0 if it had not rained in the first match of the series at Jo’burg. Meanwhile, the caravan moved to Durban and India came face to face with reality. They were bowled out for 91 runs losing the game by a huge margin of 157 runs. It was just the beginning. In the following games, famous batting lineups like Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar struggled to bat the ball. The only win came in T20Is alone which was played in the middle of a five-match ODI series, just before the fifth ODI! However, as the match started, it looked like a complete replay of the last few games. India were thrashed by nine wickets as South Africa took the series 0–4. India’s highest score in the series was 200! (Series 0-4 to South Africa)
South Africa tour of India (2010-11): Four years later, MS Dhoni’s team was in a completely different mindset and it showed. They beat South Africa 1-1 in the Test series and gave them a really tough fight. It was expected that Dhoni’s team would do something different from the series. They were defeated in the first ODI in Durban, but in Johannesburg, where the second ODI was played, India snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. India won by one run after scoring just 190 runs. In the third ODI, Yusuf Pathan’s all-round performance helped India take the lead, only to go to waste in the fourth ODI at Port Elizabeth, where the Proteas won the game by 48 runs via Duckworth Lewis. Got it. All eyes were now set on the decider of the series at Centurion where India bowled well to restrict South Africa to 250/9. In reply, the batsmen abandoned the team as India were reduced to 98/7. From here Yusuf Pathan single-handedly took India to victory. He shared a hundred-run partnership with Zaheer Khan. But once he was dismissed, India lost the plot. (Series 3-2 to South Africa)
India tour of South Africa (2013-14): India had played a lot of cricket by this time and it looked like they were in no mood to compete. Following the seven-match ODI series against Australia in the Champions League (which is now defunct), half the team landed in South Africa after playing too much cricket. Right from the first ODI in Johannesburg, he also had one more thing to keep in mind: Quinton de Kock. The kid-faced cricketer, who made his debut earlier that year, took the Indian attack on the sword, scoring 135 in the first ODI at Jo’burg. After this he scored 106 runs in the second ODI in Durban. India suffered heavy defeats in both the matches, giving South Africa an unassailable lead in the series. He went to Centurion for the dead rubber where de Kock once again scored a century! – His third in a row. By this time, he had detected an Indian attack that was plain and simple—tired. De Kock made the most of it as South Africa posted a massive 301/8. Thank god the rain came and the game was postponed. Otherwise, a clean sweep was definitely on the cards. (Series 0-2 for South Africa)
South Africa tour of India (2017-18): India’s fortunes changed after the defeat at Centurion in the second Test. They continued with good form, beating South Africa in Johannesburg in the third Test and lost only after sealing the ODI series. In the first ODI in Durban, he made fun of Virat Kohli’s total of 269 runs thanks to a century. In Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, they found two young spinners who knew how to hunt in the pack. The duo ran through the Protea line-up in the second ODI as India registered a nine-wicket win. In Cape Town, Virat Kohli was at it again. Virat displayed his aggression and aggression pulled, swung and made his way to the 160* fine; India posted a mammoth 303/6 and won by a few margins. They only lost the fourth game. However, he returned to winning ways in the fifth ODI at Port Elizabeth; It was vice-captain Rohit Sharma’s turn to stand and perform as he scored 115 off 126. Thanks to the Hitman, Kohli’s men sealed the series. The final game in Port Elizabeth was a dead rubber, but here too Kohli smashed the opposition with another century. It was his third century of the series as he scored 205 runs with 18 overs to spare. It must be mentioned that it was at this time, Kohli’s new India and his new aggressive ideal came to the fore. This was in stark contrast to teams that surrendered without playing the ball in Rainbow Nation. Kohli was adjudged man of the series. Such was the pace, India also won the 3-match T20I series. (Series 5-1 for India)
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