It is no secret that the Indian cricket team performs marvelously at home. The rugged Indian pitch, brings out the best among bowlers and leave many batters confused with the twists and turns. On the other hand, the South African cricket team is a formidable force when playing away from home. They also boast solid win percentages across all formats of International cricket. And they have not failed to put up some of the most memorable and sensational performances on Indian grounds, especially with their bowling. So, we present to you today “Top 10 bowling figures by South African bowlers on Indian grounds”.
1. Lance Klusener (Kolkata, 1996)
After being unable to claim any wickets in the first innings of the 2nd test against India, Klusener took it as a personal task to take out the entire Indian team in the second innings and almost succeeded. He bowled 21.3 overs with 4 maidens at an economy of 2.97 while taking 8 wickets! Mongia, Ganguly, Laxman, and Azharuddin failed to keep their wickets against the right-arm fast-medium bowler. South Africa eventually won the match. Ground: Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
2. Dale Steyn (Nagpur, 2010)
The tall, ferocious right-arm fast bowler showed us exactly why he is a force reckoned with. Steyn, in the first innings against India, bowled an impressive 16.4 overs with 6 maidens at an economy of 3.06 while taking 7 wickets. With three more wickets in the second innings, Steyn ensured South Africa won by an innings in the first test against India. Ground: Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur.
3. Paul Adams (Kanpur, 1996)
The left-arm wrist spinner in the first innings of the 3rd test against India bowled a splendid spell of 19.1 overs with 6 maidens at an economy of 2.86, and taking 6 wickets, which included the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid and Azharuddin. He managed 2 more wickets in the second innings, which only came as consolation for him as India comfortably won the match and the series, thanks to Azharuddin’s knock of 163* runs in the second innings. Ground: Green Park, Kanpur.
4. Makhaya Ntini (Mohali, 2006)
On one of the biggest stages of cricket, the ICC Champions Trophy, Ntini blew away the entire top order of Pakistan cricket when he bowled 6 overs with 2 maidens at an economy of 3.50 and took 5 wickets. He was single-handedly responsible for the crumbling of the Pakistan cricket team at a meager score of 89 and helping South Africa achieve a much-needed 2 points in the tournament. Ntini was rightfully awarded the Player of the Match. Ground: Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali.
5. Allan Donald (Kolkata, 1991)
After South Africa was restricted to a score of 177 in the 1st ODI against India in 1991, Allan Donald took it upon himself to bring glory to his country. He bowled an impressive 8.4 overs with an economy of 3.34 and took 5 wickets to keep his side fighting. After picking up the wickets of Indian openers Shastri and Sidhu, he bowled out Manjrekar. Donald then took the wickets of Tendulkar and Pravin Amre, both of whom scored 50+ scores to give India the win. Donald managed to win Player of the Match award (joint with Tendulkar) for his efforts. Ground: Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
6. Dale Steyn (Nagpur, 2011)
Dale Steyn has repeatedly proved he is the man for the big occasion. And yet another example of it was his 5-wicket haul in the biggest competition in the cricketing world. In their match against India in the ICC Cricket World Cup, Steyn bowled an astonishing 9.4 overs at 5.17 economy and took 5 wickets, which led to the dismissal of the Indian cricket team at 296 runs in 48.4 overs. Steyn was the Player of the Match as South Africa easily took down the target. Ground: Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur.
7. Richard Snell (Guwahati, 1993)
Richard Snell had a short-lived international career (1991 – 1996), but it did not lack any luster. He was the Player of the Match when he bowled 7.1 overs with 2 maidens at an economy of just 1.67, and took 4 wickets. Sri Lanka stood no chance as they were dismissed at 136 in the 40th over of the game, all thanks to Snell. Ground: Nehru Stadium, Guwahati.
8. Chris Morris (Mumbai, 2016)
In a match where Rabada and Kyle Abbott were hit for boundaries, Chris Morris came up big when he took the wicket of Mohammad Shahzad 44(19). Morris bowled 4 overs with an economy of 6.75 and took 4 wickets, which were enough to see through their win against Afghanistan in the ICC World T20. Morris was the Player of the Match. Ground: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
9. Albie Morkel (Cuttack, 2015)
Albie Morkel is an exceptional all-rounder cricketer and we have seen him perform miracles from time to time. Be it for South Africa or Chennai Super Kings. In the second T20I against India in 2015, Morkel bowled 4 overs, giving away just 12 runs and taking 3 wickets. Albie’s efforts led to the successful dismissal of the Indian team at a total of just 92 runs. South Africa went on to win the match and the series. He was also the Player of that match. Ground: Barabati Stadium, Cuttack.
10. Dwaine Pretorius (Indore, 2022)
Another tall and vicious right-arm bowler from South Africa, Pretorius, had a good spell against India in the 3rd T20I of their series. He bowled 3.3 overs with an economy of 7.42 and took 3 wickets, which helped dismiss India at 178 in 18.3 overs, giving South Africa a win in the 3-match series. Ground: Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore. That’s all we have for you today. Thank you for finding time to read this article. Keep tuned in for more such interesting articles on cricket.
