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India set to spoil South Africa's perfect overseas Test record

 Indian team captain Virat Kohli and team members sharing a light moment

When India and South Africa lock horns for the 3rd Test in Nagpur from Wednesday, an unique opportunity awaits the hosts to break South Africa’s brilliant run of form in away Tests. The Proteas have not lost a Test series away from home since the 0-2 drubbing at the hands of Sri Lanka in 2006 – almost a decade ago.

When South Africa last lost an away Test series, the Indian team consisted of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid among others – a generation ago. In the interim, the Proteas have played 14 Test rubbers away from home, winning 10 and drawing 4.

This period of great form includes wins over mighty Australia in 2008-09 and 2012-13, other than victories in one rubber each over England (2008), West Indies (2010), New Zealand (2011-12), Pakistan (2007-08), Sri Lanka (2014), Bangladesh (2007-8) and Zimbabwe (2007-08).

Interestingly however, an away series win in India has eluded them in this period. Both the 2007-08 (Three-Test series) and 2009-10 (Two-game contest) series ended at 1-1.

South Africa had won only one Test rubber in five visits to India, in 1999-00 under the captaincy of Hansie Cronje.

South Africa’s woes in handling Indian spinners

South Africa have struggled to cope with India’s spin attack in the Test series, and will be looking to arrest the slide in the 3rd Test. The Nagpur match is the penultimate clash of the long 72-day tour, and a win there would gift the series to the hosts 2-0.

In the Mohali Test India’s spin attack comprising Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Amit Mishra bagged 19 of the 20 opponent wickets. The second match at Bengaluru also saw Indian spinners picking all 10 wickets of the Proteas on day one itself. 

The 29-year-old Ashwin has 12 wickets in this series so far. He is currently one of India’s best match-winners. In the 30 Tests that he has played so far, Ashwin has been awarded ‘Man of the Match’ thrice and ‘Man of the Series’ four times. Though Jadeja was dropped from national side a few months back owing to poor performances, he made a good comeback.

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