India and South Africa always whet the appetites of cricketing fans all over the globe because of the closely-contested nature of the games.
Following the conclusion of the white-ball tournaments, where India won the ODIs 2-1 and the series ended 1-1, it was time for the red-ball leg of the tour.
While South Africa trounced India in the first Test, winning by an innings and 32 runs, India replied with a heavier jab and defeated the hosts by seven wickets in Cape Town.
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India have never won a single Test series in South Africa. In 25 Tests played in South Africa, India have won just five, which speaks volumes about their struggles in that part of the world as opposed to New Zealand, England, and Australia, where they have won games as well as a series.
The onus was on the Indian bowlers to take all 20 wickets in the Tests in order to give the visitors a real shot at winning their first-ever Test series on South African land while also boosting their record in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-2025 cycle.
While that could not happen, the Indian bowling duo of Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah should return to India with their heads held high as they both bagged a sixfer each in the second Test.
Speaking of which, The Sporting News brings you the numbers of the most successful Indian bowlers in Tests in South Africa.
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Anil Kumble to Mohammed Shami: Most successful Indian bowlers in Tests in SA
For those who have watched Anil Kumble rolling his wrist back in the day, good for you. You are really the lucky ones. But for those who haven't watched the legendary Indian spinner fox the batsmen in his prime, you really missed out on one heck of a player.
South Africa is a predominantly fast bowler-favouring nation, where pacers lick their lips at the sight of the exquisite swing and seam movement on offer. In such conditions, spin bowling takes a backseat.
But such had been Kumble's skill and mentality that he is, shockingly, India's most successful bowler in Tests in South Africa, picking up 45 wickets in 12 Tests.
There's just one other Indian spinner in the list for the top 10 wicket-takers in Tests in South Africa, Harbhajan Singh, which makes Kumble's achievements all the more legendary.
Here are top five wicket-takers for India in Tests in SA:
| Player | Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | S.R. | Econ. | 5-fers (innings) | 10-wicket hauls (matches) | Best |
| Anil Kumble | 12 | 24 | 45 | 32.02 | 84.7 | 2.26 | 1 | 0 | 6-53 |
| Javagal Srinath | 8 | 16 | 43 | 25.27 | 51.9 | 2.92 | 3 | 0 | 6-76 |
| Jasprit Bumrah* | 8 | 15 | 38 | 20.77 | 41.9 | 2.97 | 3 | 0 | 6-61 |
| Mohammed Shami* | 8 | 16 | 35 | 23.22 | 44.6 | 3.12 | 2 | 0 | 5-28 |
| Zaheer Khan | 8 | 15 | 30 | 35.60 | 62.7 | 3.40 | 0 | 0 | 4-62 |
*denotes active players
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