India vs South Africa: A look at how the teams have fared against each other

The India vs South Africa cricket rivalry is one of the most enthralling rivalries in modern-day cricket.

An India vs South Africa cricket match is one of the most-awaited fixtures in the cricketing calendar, be it home or away or any format of the game.

India was the first team to invite South Africa for a three-match One-Day International series in November 1991 after the apartheid policy had kept them out of international cricket for more than 20 years.

That was the first meeting between the sides with India winning the series 2-1. From then on, both India and South Africa have been part of some exciting duels in Tests, ODIs and T20Is.

India and South Africa have met each other at the international stage on 164 occasions with South Africa being victorious 80 times and India winning 70 matches. There have been 10 draws with four matches ending without a result.

South Africa are marginally ahead in the race in the longest format of the game with 18 wins compared to India’s 16. A total of 10 matches out of the total 44 have ended in draws.

Incidentally, the rainbow nation remains the final frontier for the Men in Blue as they are yet to win a Test series in South Africa. The last series in December-January 2023-24 in South Africa ended in a draw with both teams winning one Test each.

In ODIs too, South Africa hold a superior record with 51 wins from 94 matches. India have won 40 ODIs with three of them getting abandoned without a result. Sachin Tendulkar created history by becoming the first player to score a double-hundred in ODI cricket, in a contest against South Africa at Gwalior in 2010. 

Coming to the shortest format of the game, India holds the edge in T20Is with 14 victories from 26 matches. South Africa follow closely with 11 wins and a game being abandoned.

With that being said, let’s have a look at India vs South Africa head-to-head in cricket.

India vs South Africa head-to-head in cricket

India vs South Africa in World Cups

India vs South Africa cricket records and stats

India vs South Africa in Tests

Highest team total in a Test innings: India scored 643/6d against South Africa in the second Test at Eden Gardens in 2010. 

Lowest team total in a Test innings: India bowled South Africa out for 55 in the second Test in Cape Town in 2024.

Highest individual score in Tests: Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag scored 319 against South Africa in the first Test in Chennai in 2008. 

Best bowling figures in Tests: India’s Ravichandran Ashwin picked up 12/98 against South Africa in the third Test in Nagpur in 2015. 

India vs South Africa in ODIs 

Highest team total in ODIs: South Africa posted 438/4 against India in the fifth ODI at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in 2015. 

Lowest team total in ODIs: India bowled South Africa out for 83 in the 2023 ODI World Cup clash at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Highest individual score in ODIs: India’s legendary Sachin Tendulkar scored 200* against South Africa in the second ODI at Captain Roop Singh Stadium in Gwalior in 2010. 

Best bowling figures in ODIs: India’s Sunil Joshi picked up 5/6 against South Africa in the second match of the LG Cup at the Gymkhana Club Ground in Nairobi in 1999. 

India vs South Africa in T20Is

Highest team total in T20Is: India scored 237/3 against South Africa in the second T20I in Guwahati in 2022. 

Lowest team total in T20Is: India bowled South Africa out for 87 in the fourth T20I in Rajkot in 2022. 

Highest individual score in T20Is: David Miller’s unbeaten 106 for South Africa in the second T20I in Guwahati in 2022 is the highest individual score registered in this fixture.

Best bowling figures in T20Is: India’s Kuldeep Yadav picked up 5/17 against South Africa in the third T20I at Johannesburg in 2023.

Photo credit: Alamy