After beating Australia on their own turf twice, and leading England 2-1 in the UK before the series ended abruptly earlier this year, India would look to improve on their recent impressive record overseas when they head to South Africa later this month to play a three-match Test series. India have played 20 Tests in South Africa, winning only three, but veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh believes the upcoming tour is the team’s best chance of registering a series win there.
“I believe this is India’s golden opportunity to win their first Test series in South Africa. If we look at their team, it is not as strong as it used to be. Even in the last tour, players like AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis… those guys never allowed India to win there. Although India have played well there, they have never won a series and this is their best chance because their batting isn’t great,” Harbhajan said in a video on his YouTube channel.
India’s first Test win in the country arrived in 2006, when they beat South Africa in Durban by 123 runs, even though the series was lost 1-2. In 2010/11, South Africa took the first Test, followed by India winning in Durban by 87 runs, but a draw in the final game saw the series end in a 1-1 deadlock. Three years later in 2013/14 tour, India lost 0-1, and in 2018, lost again before ending the series on a winning note with a 63-run win in Johannesburg.
Harbhajan was part of India’s two different tours of South Africa in 2001 and 2010, picking up three and 15 wickets respectively. Overall, Harbhajan has grabbed 60 wickets against the Proteas from 11 Tests.
While South Africa have named a strong 21-member squad for the Test series against India starting December 26 at Centurion, the BCCI is expected to name the Indian line-up soon.
