IND vs SA: 5 Currently Active Indian Bowlers With Most Test Wickets In South Africa

The Indian cricket team is gearing up for their upcoming three-match Test series in South Africa, starting on December 26 in Centurion.

The team is coming fresh from a 1-0 series win against New Zealand on home soil, starting the campaign under new head coach Rahul Dravid on a winning note.

The South Africa tour will be Dravid’s first overseas assignment along with Kohli as the captain of the red-ball side. Both the stalwarts of Indian cricket very well know that they need to tick the box of winning a Test series in South Africa, the only country where India are eluded to victory.

Even before the series could kick-off, the unusual controversies regarding the Indian team’s split captaincy was in the spotlight after Rohit Sharma was named as the white-ball skipper of the ODI team.

However, hoping that the drama in the media does not affect the Indian players, they must remain firm on winning their elusive Test series against Proteas in their own backyard.

The three-match Test series between South Africa and India will be played behind closed doors owing to the spreading of the new COVID-19 variant–Omicron in the African nation.

Former Indian skipper Anil Kumble bagged 45 wickets in South Africa, the most by any Indian bowler in that country. With 30 wickets, Mumbai pacer Zaheer Khan has the most wickets by an Indian speedster in South Africa.

Let us look at the five Indian active bowlers who have picked the most Test wickets in South Africa.

IND vs SA: 5 Active Indian Bowlers with most Test wickets in South Africa

5) Bhuvneshwar Kumar (10)

Bhuvneshwar played his first Test in South Africa in Cape Town on January 5, 2018, and opening with the new ball for India, he reduced South Africa to 12 for 3 wickets in just five overs.

He got the wickets of Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram and Hashim Amla to start the series on a very high note. The Uttar Pradesh pacer ended his match figures with 4/87.

Despite a stellar performance in the first Test, Bhuvneshwar was dropped for the second Test in Centurion. But he came back for the final Test in Johannesburg and earned the player of the match for scoring 30 & 33 and returning with four wickets with the ball.

Interestingly, the Wanderers Test happens to be the pace-bowling all-rounder’s last Test match for India.

4) Jasprit Bumrah (14)

Bumrah made his Test debut against South Africa in Cape Town and guess what he claimed the wicket of AB de Villiers as his maiden Test scalp. He dismissed the South African great three times in that series.

He picked a five-wicket haul in the first innings of the Wanderers Test and ended with 14 wickets from three games at an average of 25.21.

Bumrah will lead India’s bowling attack in their quest to clinch their maiden Test series win in South Africa.

3) Harbhajan Singh (18)

If you are surprised by the veteran Indian spinner’s inclusion in this list, don’t be as Harbhajan is yet to declare his retirement from international cricket.

Harbhajan was part of India’s squad in the 2010/11 South Africa tour, where he gained 15 wickets from three games. He bowled a breathtaking spell of 7/120 in the final Test in Cape Town to force a draw.

Harbhajan has picked 417 Test wickets from 103 matches and he played his last game for India against Sri Lanka in 2015.

Also Read: Harbhajan Singh To Retire From Cricket And Take Up Coaching Role With An IPL Franchise- Reports

2) Ishant Sharma (20)

The senior Indian pacer is the second player from the current Indian contingent to have visited South Africa on three tours along with Cheteshwar Pujara.

Ishant picked seven wickets in his first tour to South Africa and five in the next. He claimed another eight from just two games in India’s previous tour in 2018.

He cleaned the stumps of AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis on his return to the test team and also played a handy role in India’s triumph in Johannesburg.

Also Read: Upcoming South Africa Tour Might Be Ishant Sharma’s Last Series – Reports

1) Mohammed Shami (21)

Shami was the joint-highest wicket-taker with Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada in the 2018 South Africa vs India Test series. All three pace bowlers had 15 wickets to their name.

Shami bowled a magnificent spell of 5/28 in the final Test in Johannesburg as India won their solitary Test of the series by 63 runs.

Shami will play a crucial role with Bumrah and Ishant for India with the new ball to dismantle the Proteas batters in the upcoming Test series.

Also Read: IND vs NZ 2021: Simon Doull Reckons India Won’t Miss Mohammed Shami And Rishabh Pant