South Africa - India Cricket Test Encounters
Till Nov 1, 2004
The Proteas have dominated the Indians in the longer version of the game. They have won 7 of the 14 matches, while India won 2 and the rest 5 were drawn!South Africa were thrown out of world cricket in 1970 as a result of the racist policies of the apartheid government. The game, as with the rest of society, was divided along racial lines in South Africa before unity between the administrative bodies representing black and white players was achieved on 29 June, 1991. That paved the way for the national team's return to international action in India later that year after 22 years of isolation.
In the first 10 years since unity, South Africa enjoyed success on the field by winning 39 of the 84 Test matches they played while losing only 15. Of 229 one-day internationals during the same time period, they won 143 and they reached one quarter-final and two semi-finals in the three World Cup tournaments they have contested. In Picture: Kepler Wessels, SA's first Test captain of the modern era. He played 24 tests for Australia before returning to play cricket for his native country during the 80s. Later he took over from Clive Rice the South African leadership and led the side with distinction and firmness in the first years of growth in the post-isolation era.
Test Match StatisticsTotal Played: 14South Africa Won: 7 India Won: 2 Drawn: 5
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Indian Team Records
Till Nov 1, 2004
HIGHEST INNINGS TOTALS by India in India: 400-7d at Kanpur in 1996-97 HIGHEST INNINGS TOTALS by India in South Africa: 410 at Johannesburg in 1996-97
LOWEST INNINGS TOTALS by India in India: 113 at Mumbai in 1999-00
LOWEST INNINGS TOTALS by India in South Africa: 66 at Durban in 1996-97
INDIVIDUAL HUNDREDS by Indians: 11
HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL SCORE: 169 by SR Tendulkar in Cape Town 1996-97
LEADING RUN-SCORER: SR Tendulkar 14 matches, 26 innings, 1 Not Out, 948 Runs, 169 Highest, 37.92 Avg, 3 100s, 3 50s, 1 0s
HIGHEST PARTNERSHIP: 222 for the 6th wkt by SR Tendulkar and M Azharuddin at Cape Town 1996-97
In Picture: By popular vote, the greatest batsman in the world today, Sachin Tendulkar has the cricketing world at his feet. The adulation he commands world over is unsurpassed, perhaps since the days of Don Bradman, to whom of course he has been compared, by no less than the great man himself. While he may not end with a Test career average of 99.94, there is little doubt that based on his vigorous style of batsmanship and his insatiable appetite for runs and big scores, he is the most complete batsman since Vivian Richards. In many ways though he has surpassed even that outstanding West Indian batsman.
South African Team Records
Till Nov 1, 2004
HIGHEST INNINGS TOTALS by South Africa in India: 479 at Bangalore in 1999-00 HIGHEST INNINGS TOTALS by South Africa in South Africa: 563 at Blemfontein in 2001-02
LOWEST INNINGS TOTALS by South Africa in India: 105 at Ahmedabad in 1996-97
LOWEST INNINGS TOTALS by South Africa in South Africa: 235 at Durban in 1996-97
INDIVIDUAL HUNDREDS by South Africans: 13
HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL SCORE: 196 by HH Gibbs at Port Elizabeth 2001-02
LEADING RUN-SCORER: G Kirsten 10 matches,19 innings, 1 Not Out, 720 Runs, 133 Highest, 40.00 Avg, 3 100s, 3 50s, 1 0s
HIGHEST PARTNERSHIP: 236 for 1st wicket by AC Hudson and G Kirsten at Calcutta 1996-97
In Picture: When Gary Kirsten did well, South Africa did well. Over the course of an 11-year career the nuggety left hander from Cape Town became the rock upon which the South African team built its batting. And when he was finished he owned most of the important batting South African records.
South Africa's return to International Cricket
November 10, 1991
India played a major role in South Africa's return to international cricket, by hosting the first match in India. The South African cricketers received tumultuous welcome on the streets of Calcutta and Eden Gardens. The two teams played a three match series starting with the first 50-overs match at Eden Gardens, Calcutta on 10 November 1991, which India won by 3 wkts.Wessels took 50 and SA made 177 for 8 wickets in 47 overs. In return India made 178 losing 7 wickets in just 40.4 overs. SR Tendulkar made 62 (73 balls) and PK Amre made 55 (74 balls). Donald took 5 wkts in 8.4 overs giving away 29 runs.
India won by 38 runs the Second One Day International at Captain Roop Singh Stadium, Gwalior on 12 November 1991 scores
South Africa won by 8 wickets the Third and Last One Day at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi on 14 November 1991 (50-overs day/night match) scores
India won the 3-ODI series 2-1 In Picture: Sanjay Manjrekar who took 158 runs in the three matches with a highest of 105 and an average of 79.00 was the best batsman of the two teams. He made 1, 52* and 105 respectively.
Hansie Cronje: A Sad Chapter in International Cricket
1969 - 2002
Wessels Johannes "Hansie" Cronje was the best Captain the cricketing world ever saw, until charges of throwing matches was bought against him. A highly talented young batsman, occasional bowler and excellent tactician, he was appointed captain of South Africa in 1993, and he led the side to test series victories against New Zealand and England. Respected for his demeanour off the field as his ability on, it came as a great shock to the cricketing world when, in April 2000, he confessed to being involved with the largest match fixing scandal yet uncovered, receiving gifts and money from bookmakers to influence the results of games. At that time he had the best win-ratio of all contempary national captains in one-day internationals.
Convicted by the King Commission, he was banned from playing or coaching cricket in 2000. The sacked captain admitted in a newspaper interview in 1998 to having been approached by Indian bookmakers offering US$250,000 for the team if they "threw" a one-off international in Bombay in December 1996. In Picture: J Hampstead decided to use the South African team for its ad because the South African team had a clean image. The glossy ads of Cronje continued to appear in newspapers when the shocking scandal exploded. When the South African board banned Cronje, the agency which produced the Hampstead campaign quietly withdrew the print and television advertisements!
Cronje found employment in a mining company, and whilst travelling for work he was killed in a plane crash on June 1st, 2002. South African media reported that Cronje had caught a ride on the cargo plane early on Saturday morning after missing a scheduled flight.
More than 1,000 people filled the church and a large screen television and rows of seats were set up outside to accommodate an even larger number. The national team, clad in blazers, stood behind captain Shaun Pollock as he spoke at the service.
Cronje had played 68 Tests and 188 one-day internationals during his career. Sadly for him, his place in history will be as a man who was prevented from continuing his career due to dishonesty, and who then died a premature and tragic death. In Picture: The body of Hansie Cronje being recovered from the Outeniqua mountains. The South African Sunday papers were full of praise for the dead man, with the Sunday Times saying he was "arguably South Africa's greatest cricket captain before his career ended in disgrace".
In recent days, rumors of the crash having been engineered by men who wanted to keep the lid on the match-fixing scandal, are doing the rounds.