Nagpur witnessed history when the spinning turf and Ashwin’s spin mystery combined to demolish South Africa and it’s nine-year unbeaten streak in away Test series. South Africa had achieved a milestone of having no losses in their purse while they toured around the world, accommodating 14 Test series’ trophies.
The record set by the proteas is second only to the West Indian team of the 1980s who successfully remain unconquered for a consecutive 18 Test series. After successive defeats in the limited overs format, the men in blue surprisingly vanquished the proteas side and thereby bringing their record-breaking stint to a halt. But before the South African team were happily riding on their fairy-tale run, the proteas had endured several losses. Since the year of 1991-92, South Africa lost nine away Test series and here we have a look at all of them –
1) Lost 2-0 against Sri Lanka, 2006-07 (Two match series)
Injury woes came riding towards South Africa as stalwarts Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis missed the tour due to injuries. Skilled all-rounder Shaun Pollock was also not present with his team since he flew back home to witness the birth of his second child.
The first Test at SSC in Colombo saw the Lankan lions hand over just one thing to the Proteas – demolition. Test veterans Kumar Sangakkara (287) and Mahela Jayawardene (374) put up a record-breaking stand of 624 runs to go way past the paltry score of 169 set up by the South Africans in their first innings. With the home team declaring at 756 for 5, South Africa got bundled out for 434 runs while being a procuring an-innings-and-153-run loss.
The series could had been drawn at 1-1 if Jayawardene’s steady 123 and courageous batting from the lower order of Sri Lanka’s batsmen sneaked a one-wicket win while chasing a daunting total of 352 in the second match and ultimately clinching the series 2-0.
2) Lost 2-0 against Australia, 2005-06 (Three-match series)
The Australian side would owe this series’ win to Ricky pointing’s century and some generous or one could say – calculation mistaken declaration by Graeme Smith in the third and final Test match which was held at Sydney. Proteas captain declared on 451 for 9 and 194 for 6, leaving the Australian side a target of 287, which was later conquered easily with 8 wickets remaining.
Valiant batting display from Jacques Rudolph saw South Africa draw out the first Test. Australian side were beaten in their second outing fairly and with just the third test remaining, the weather came into play and rain spoiling some of the action, resulting in South Africa’s 2-0 loss.
3) Lost 1-0 against India, 2004-05 (Two match series)
South Africa’s slow and defensive approach in the first Test at Kanpur saw the match drawn. With the second one being scheduled in Kolkata, Indians came out triumphant. Kallis’ century was not enough as figures above the 80s from both Sehwag and Dravid led India to a 106-run lead chase. Harbhajan Singh spearheaded the bowling attack with returning excellent figures of 7-87 to set up a chase of a mere 117 runs, which the home team chased down easily and thus, winning the series.
4) Lost 1-0, against Sri Lanka, 2004-05 (Two match series)
First Test never saw any side in dominance as both teams played out fairly fall resulting in a draw. The second Test at Colombo saw a stumbling South Africa after Sanath Jayasuriya took a five-wicket haul in the first innings. With Sangakkara’s double century being the backbone, Sri Lanka set a 493 run target to achieve. The bowling side of Sri Lanka came with full force as Chaminda Vaas took 6/29 and pacer Malinga 3/54 to win the match and the series.
5) Lost 1-0 against Pakistan, 2003-04 (Two match series)
After posting a total of 320 runs on the board, South Africa couldn’t hold off the Pakistani batsmen. Taufeeq Umar’s resilient 100 and Asim Akmal’s 99 on debut pushed their team towards the dominating side while the Asian team put up a 401 total in their reply for the 1st innings. Danish Kaneria tore the South African batting line apart by returning figures of 5/46. Finally, Pakistan cruised to an 8-wicket win in the end.
Gary Kirsten’s exceptional 118 at Faisalabad gave his team a glimmer of hope to win as they posted a 302 run target with the last day to play. Protea bowlers led a great bowling attack and even got Pakistan down to 209 for 6, but couldn’t keep that attack going for long as resilient show from Shoaib Malik and Moin Khan saw the batsmen are not giving up their wickets and the game ending in a draw.
6) Lost 3-0 against Australia, 2001-02 (Three-match series)
South Africa were on the brink on claiming the first rank in Test rankings if they would had defeated Australia but by looking at their game during the course of the series, they never were even in the competition.
The visiting team lost all the three matches with big margins. First test at Adelaide Oval saw Shane Warne and Glen McGrath scripting South Africa’s defeat by 246 runs. The second Test saw the Proteas conceding a 210 run lead and then plunging to a score of 219 in their second innings which resulted in Australia beating South Africa easily by nine wickets.
The final Test was absolute anarchy from the visitor’s side. A 154-all-out show from the Proteas in their first innings led to the home team amassing 554 runs which again forced the former to be put to bat, courtesy – follow on. With the help of Gary Kirsten’s century, Australia comprehensively beat the visitors by achieving a mere target set of 53 runs.
7) Lost 2-1 against England, 1998-99 (Five match series)
Rain brought the first game to a halt and thereby resulting in match being drawn. The Second Test at Lord’s saw the Dominic Cork initiate a South African top order collapse in the first innings, but Jhonty Rhodes fighting century kept the visitors in the game. Before South Africa could get close to a victory, Allan Donald’s 5-wicket haul ensured that never happened, winning the game by 10 wickets.
A double-century from Kirsten helped South Africa to a formidable first-innings total in the third Test, at Old Trafford, but England fought hard despite being made to follow on and hung on for a draw.
It then became 1-1 after England registered a convincing victory in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge. Honours were even after the first-innings exchanges, but Angus Fraser’s 5-62 and Cork’s 4-60 gave England the edge and they then pulled off the 247-run chase with a dominant fourth-innings batting performance to win by eight wickets.
South Africa had taken a slim lead of 22 runs in the first innings of the final test but Darren Gough’s six-wicket haul ensured South Africa having a deficiency of 23 runs and eventually losing the series 1-2.
8) Lost 1-0 against Australia, 1997-98 (Three-match series)
The first Test ended in a draw, after South Africa, given a target of 381 to chase took the remaining time of the game to try and chase the score and hence ending in no team winning.
Shane Warne’s magical performance of 5/75 and 6/34 weaved his magic which the visitors couldn’t and comprehend and thereby leading to the latter losing the match. Mark Waugh’s 100 contributed to a 421 run target which the Proteas failed to reach as they were bowled out for 287 and 113, and leaving the ground by losing by an innings and 21 runs.
South Africa posted a steep mountain of a target of 517 runs for the Australians to climb in their first innings. But some extreme sloppy catching from the Proteas side meant the Australians were given a ray of hope which they utilized it to the maximum and somehow managed to get the match to a draw.
9) Lost 2-1, against India, 1996-97 (Three match series)
Javagal Srinath was the star for India, whose 2 for 47 and 6 for 21 helped bowl South Africa out for 244 and 105 and though the Indian batsmen didn’t do too brilliantly, it was enough for the hosts to win by 64 runs.
Andrew Hudson (146) and Kirsten (102) in a 236-run first-wicket stand helped South Africa put up 428 before they bowled India out for 329 and then set India a 467-run chase. Kirsten (133) century and Daryll Cullinan’s 153 not out in the following innings saw India fell short by 329 runs.
In the third and final Test at Kanpur, India scored 237 despite Paul Adams’s 6 for 55 and then, led by Anil Kumble, bowled South Africa out for 177 before Mohammad Azharuddin’s 163 not out helped them set a 461-run target. All South Africa could manage was 180.