The South African national cricket team, more commonly referred to as “The Proteas”, represents South Africa in international men’s cricket competition and is administered by Cricket South Africa.
India were left without one batsman as Shubman Gill was forced out due to injury during the Guwahati Test, and it proved a poor start on a pitch that challenged the batters throughout the game.
The match became another memorable chapter in the South Africa National Cricket Team Vs India National Cricket Team Timeline, showcasing the fierce competition and intensity between the two cricketing giants.
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | Captain, Opening Batter |
| Shubman Gill | Opening Batter |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | Opening Batter |
| Virat Kohli | Top-order Batter |
| Shreyas Iyer | Middle-order Batter |
| KL Rahul | Wicketkeeper Batter |
| Rishabh Pant | Wicketkeeper Batter |
| Suryakumar Yadav | Batter |
| Hardik Pandya | All-rounder |
| Ravindra Jadeja | All-rounder |
| Axar Patel | All-rounder |
| Kuldeep Yadav | Spinner |
| Jasprit Bumrah | Fast Bowler |
| Mohammed Siraj | Fast Bowler |
| Arshdeep Singh | Fast Bowler |
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Temba Bavuma | Captain, Batter |
| Aiden Markram | Batter |
| Ryan Rickelton | Wicketkeeper Batter |
| Tony de Zorzi | Opening Batter |
| Tristan Stubbs | Batter |
| David Miller | Middle-order Batter |
| Heinrich Klaasen | Wicketkeeper Batter |
| Marco Jansen | All-rounder |
| Keshav Maharaj | Spinner |
| Tabraiz Shamsi | Spinner |
| Kagiso Rabada | Fast Bowler |
| Lungi Ngidi | Fast Bowler |
| Gerald Coetzee | Fast Bowler |
| Nandre Burger | Fast Bowler |
| Andile Phehlukwayo | All-rounder |
| Date | Format | Venue | Winner | Margin | Player of the Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Nov 2024 | T20I | Johannesburg | India | Won by 135 runs | Tilak Varma |
| 13 Nov 2024 | T20I | Centurion | India | Won by 11 runs | Arshdeep Singh |
| 10 Nov 2024 | T20I | Gqeberha | South Africa | Won by 3 wickets | Tristan Stubbs |
| 8 Nov 2024 | T20I | Durban | India | Won by 61 runs | Sanju Samson |
| 29 Jun 2024 | T20 World Cup Final | Bridgetown | India | Won by 7 runs | Virat Kohli |
| 3 Jan 2024 | Test | Cape Town | India | Won by 7 wickets | Mohammed Siraj |
| 26 Dec 2023 | Test | Centurion | South Africa | Won by an innings & 32 runs | Dean Elgar |
| 21 Dec 2023 | ODI | Paarl | India | Won by 78 runs | Arshdeep Singh |
| 19 Dec 2023 | ODI | Gqeberha | South Africa | Won by 8 wickets | Tony de Zorzi |
| 17 Dec 2023 | ODI | Johannesburg | India | Won by 8 wickets | Arshdeep Singh |
Origins
South Africa’s Bavuma took full advantage of an opportunity to excel against India in Guwahati by hitting an unbeaten 147 – winning South Africa their match and leading them to 327-6 as a team total.
He wasn’t alone either – AB de Villiers also impressed, adding unbeaten 62 runs to their total for South Africa as the duo created a partnership of 143 runs to complete South African success in Guwahati.
South Africa’s early Test record may not have been especially impressive; winning only one out of eleven matches at first.
But this changed quickly; gradually improving and reaching a high level by the beginning of the 20th century; eventually becoming one of the main competitors until apartheid banned South Africa from international cricket competition.
Since 1991 when they were reinstated as Test cricketing nations by the International Cricket Council (ICC), South Africa have emerged as formidable test cricketing powers, emerging victorious from limited overs tournaments such as 1998 ICC Knockout Trophy (now Champions Trophy) and reaching four ODI World Cup semi finals.
Even without key players, the Proteas still possess enough talent and ability to challenge any team on any given day – and if they play to their fullest potential in 2025 World Cup competition they could pose a serious threat.
Kagiso Rabada will miss both Test matches against India due to a rib injury, being replaced by Lungi Ngidi as his replacement.
South Africa completed their highest successful run chase against India to level the series at 1-1 in ODI 1 against India, led by Quinton de Kock – passing both AB de Villiers and Sachin Tendulkar and becoming only seventh batter to achieve 4000 Test runs for Proteas over Virat Kohli! Only three times has India ever been defeated in an ODI in its history!
Competitions
South Africa was victorious in this bilateral series against India, winning both Tests and all five ODIs en route to winning its first bilateral series since 2000. India suffered their greatest ever loss against South Africa at Guwahati when they lost one Test match during this series.
India’s loss was partly the result of subpar fielding performances, but they were also undermined by outstanding individual efforts such as those by AB de Villiers and Rohit Sharma who both made impressive scores. Quinton de Kock joined a select club by becoming only the seventh batsman ever to score seven centuries against India.
Jasprit Bumrah and Lungi Ngidi both excelled with the ball; Ngidi particularly distinguished himself by claiming three wickets during the second innings to finish on an impressive 4-22 figure.
Results
After India lost the opening T20I at Guwahati, they responded strongly by taking control of the series by winning at Mullanpur in the second match of this T20 series.
David Miller’s brilliant 63 off 35 balls gave South Africa much-needed momentum before Tristan Stubbs completed a finisher innings of 44 off 24 balls as South Africa reached an insurmountable total in T20 terms of 187-7.
India’s batting was beleaguered and they fell far short of the required run rate (9.35). Top-order batsmen struggled to make significant contributions – except Rohit Sharma who scored an unbeaten 91 off 64 balls to help his side overcome early collapse.
No other batsmen produced significant runs while consistent wickets prevented any substantial partnerships from forming.
Proteas’ bowlers were magnificent. Jasprit Bumrah took three wickets during India’s powerplay to stop their progress; assisted by Arshdeep Singh and Keshav Maharaj’s disciplined bowling; also benefiting from South African wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock’s excellent fielding of three out of the four batters to fall during overs 16-20 and help impose their will upon India’s innings.
India’s chase of their target was always going to be difficult and South African fast bowlers ensured it wouldn’t be easily met. Their fast bowlers attacked when needed and generated sufficient pace to disrupt India’s middle order batting, further hindered by key player absences like Kohli and AB de Villiers.
South Africa fielding and catching skills were exceptional as a result, keeping India to 185-9 and winning by 57 runs – their largest margin of defeat ever in an ICC multi-nation tournament since losing 2023 T20 World Cup Final final held in Bridgetown!
Tactical insights
India-South Africa cricket rivalry has produced some of the most thrilling international encounters, from high-scoring games and major individual performances to fiercely contested matchups that reveal each side’s tactics in modern cricket.
Fans looking for reliable statistics or official scorecards should turn to platforms such as ICC website or ESPNcricinfo for detailed statistics or official scorecards.
South Africa coach Shukri Conrad has placed much faith in Bavuma’s ability to produce tough, crucial innings under pressure situations, particularly with Bumrah bowling three wickets in four overs early in his first spell. While this has served him well in the past, it became difficult for Bavuma to survive Bumrah’s early bowling of three wickets in four overs.
Numerous top-order batsmen were at fault as they struggled to build on their early starts. Bavuma’s anger eventually manifested in his final over before lunch as he attempted an outside edge shot that was caught by Rohit Sharma.
After an uncertain start to the second session, the lower order came through with what they needed to. AB de Villiers played his usual safe shot until two off Siraj helped bring up his fifty.
Akash Deep must remain patient against Jadeja, who excels at subtly shifting pace and variation. His performance has earned some applause from local fans; but thus far all he has contributed is 24 off 55 balls bowled away as no balls were offered to Akash.
India’s batting appears under pressure with a turnable pitch providing sharp movement and extra turn for the bowlers. They may need to play defensively if they wish to reach safety.
One or more top-order batsmen may need to step up and demonstrate resilience, though who that will be remains unclear at this stage.
This situation adds another intense chapter to the South Africa National Cricket Team Vs India National Cricket Team Timeline, where challenging conditions and fierce competition have often defined the rivalry.
