Top 5 Best Bowling Figures By Indian Bowlers vs South Africa in Test Cricket (Innings).

best bowling figures by Indian bowler vs south africa

Here are the top 5 best bowling figures by Indian bowlers vs South Africa in Test cricket. The second Test match between India and South Africa is currently in doubt. Dean Elgar and Keegan Peterson demonstrated great grit and determination in the first hour of the second day’s play after India was bowled out for 202 runs. The match was slipping out of India’s grasp until Shardul Thakur entered the fray.

Shardul Thakur, India’s fourth pacer, picked up three quick wickets before lunch to get India back into the game. He took his first five-wicket haul and ended up with a seven-for, assisting his team in evicting South Africa for 229 runs. The heroic spell cast by Shardul Thakur was lauded by all. Taking 7 wickets in a single Test inning against South Africa is not an easy task. Not many Indians have done that in Test cricket history against South Africa. On that note, let’s take a look at the top 5 best bowling figures by Indian bowlers in Test Cricket against South Africa.

List Of Top 5 Best Bowling Figures In An Innings By Indian Bowlers vs South Africa.

PlayerOversMaidensRunsWktsEconOpposition TeamGroundMatch Date
SN Thakur17.536173.42v South AfricaJohannesburg3 Jan 2022
R Ashwin29.576672.21v South AfricaNagpur25 Nov 2015
Harbhajan Singh30.038772.90v South AfricaKolkata28 Nov 2004
Harbhajan Singh38.0112073.15v South AfricaCape Town2 Jan 2011
R Ashwin46.21114573.12v South AfricaVisakhapatnam2 Oct 2019

1. Shardul Thakur: 7/61 vs South Africa in 2022.

Shardul Thakur vs South Africa in 2022-Best Bowling Figures In An Innings By Indian Bowlers vs South Africa
Image Source: Wisden

Shardul Thakur, India’s seam bowling all-rounder, now has the best bowling figures by an Indian bowler against South Africa in Test cricket. He made headlines yesterday after a sensational performance at the Wanderers stadium. Before the start of the Tests, his place in the starting XI for the Test match was in doubt. In the first hour of the second day, Dean Elgar and Keegan Petersen batted reasonably well. The other three fast bowlers (Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj) tried hard but couldn’t break the partnership. Shardul Thakur entered the fray in the 36th over of the innings.

He wasn’t afraid to pitch the ball and reap the benefits. Shardul Thakur got wickets every time the batsmen tried to take him on. He finished the day with a total of 7 wickets in an innings. Shardul Thakur took 7 wickets for 61 runs in 17.5 overs to help team India bowl out South Africa for 229 runs in the second innings. His sensational spell assisted India’s re-entry into the game, and they now have a real chance of winning the series’ second consecutive Test.

2. Ravichandran Ashwin: 7/66 vs South Africa in 2015.

Ravichandran Ashwin: 7/66 vs South Africa in 2015.

Ravichandran Ashwin had his best performance against South Africa in the third Test, which took place in Nagpur in 2015. In the second innings, he picked up a five-wicket haul to dismiss South Africa for 79 runs. When the Proteas batted again in the Test match, Ravichandran Ashwin treated them similarly. South Africa was hunted down by Ashwin and Amit Mishra for only 185 runs. R Ashwin took seven wickets for 66 runs in 29.5 overs. India won that match by a score of 124 runs. Ravichandran Ashwin had his best bowling figures in a Test innings against South Africa.

3. Harbhajan Singh: 7/87 vs South Africa in 2004.

Harbhajan Singh: 7/87 vs South Africa in 2004.
Image Source: DNA India

Harbhajan Singh had a lot of fun hunting in Eden Gardens. He has a lot of memories associated with that spot. In Test cricket, he delivered some of his most memorable spells at this venue. In the second Test against South Africa at Eden Gardens in 2004, the former Indian spinner looked unplayable. South Africa batted brilliantly in the first innings, scoring 305 runs. Team India, on the other hand, scored 411 runs in the second innings to put South Africa on the back foot. Harbhajan Singh did not allow the Proteas to re-enter the game after that. In the third innings, he ran through South Africa’s batting lineup and bundled them out for 222 runs. Harbhajan Singh took all five top-order wickets and finished with 7/87 in 30 overs. As a result, South Africa was bowled out for 222 runs and lost the Test by 8 wickets.

4. Harbhajan Singh: 7/120 vs South Africa in 2011.

Best Bowling Figures By Indian Bowlers - Harbhajan Singh: 7/120 vs South Africa in 2011

Harbhajan Singh has a strong Test record against South Africa. Without a doubt, he was a fantastic match-winner. In 11 Tests vs South Africa, he has 60 wickets, including four five-wicket hauls in his career. On India’s 2011 tour of South Africa, the legendary Indian spinner wreaked havoc in the third Test in Cape Town. After South Africa scored 362 runs in the first innings, India batted well in the second innings, scoring 364 runs. And when South Africa came out to bat again, Harbhajan Singh took the majority of the wickets. He took the first four wickets for 64 runs, putting South Africa on the back foot. However, significant contributions from the lower middle order and tailenders helped South Africa reach 341. Harbhajan Singh also dismissed the last three batsmen to finish the match with seven wickets for 120 runs. That game ended in a tie.

5. Ravichandran Ashwin: 7/145 vs South Africa in 2019.

Ravichandran Ashwin: 7/145 vs South Africa in 2019.
Image Source: DNA India

Ravichandran Ashwin’s heroic spell in the first Test against South Africa in Visakhapatnam in 2019 will be remembered forever. South Africa needed to bat well to stay in the game after India posted a total of 502-run in the first innings. In the second inning, Dean Elgar hit a 160-run off 287 balls. However, wickets continued to fall at the other end, thanks to Ravichandran Ashwin’s excellent spell. The Indian spinner ripped through South Africa’s batting order, dismissing four batsmen for low scores. He went on to take seven wickets for 145 runs, assisting the team in batting South Africa out for 431 runs. India won by 203 runs in that match.

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Conclusion

This article is based on the top 5 best bowling figures by Indian bowlers, and it has been updated with statistics from ESPNcricinfo.com‘s official 2021-22 updates. We hope you enjoyed our article; please feel free to share your valuable thoughts in the comments section; we value your feedback. The information on this page is subject to change at any time without notice. Our website makes no guarantees about the accuracy of the information.