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In December 2009, India’s 2-0 triumph over Sri Lanka helped them scale to the top spot in the ICC Test Rankings for the first time. However, their position was soon threatened when a strong South African side arrived in India two months later.
South Africa had not lost an overseas series since August 2006. In Jacques Kallis, Hashim Amla and A.B. de Villiers, they had a strong middle-order that excelled in subcontinent conditions and proved themselves in the 2007/08 tour of India.
Dale Steyn had been a fixture at the top of the ICC Test Bowling Rankings for almost two years now. He would later go on to dominate the list that till 2014.
India were in a transition since the retirement of Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble in late 2008. In the meantime, Gautam Gambhir had hit the form of his life. He had been the top-ranked Test batter in the world for a while, closely followed by South African captain Graeme Smith.
In a phase where the Australian domination had taken a backseat, this was a series fittingly billed as the contest between the two of the then finest sides in Test cricket.
Though Indians were invincible at home, South Africa had last tested them in these conditions in 2007/08, where India had escaped with an 1-1 outcome.
Even ten years before this series, South Africa had achieved the rarity when they beat India at home in the 1999/00 series, remembered as Sachin Tendulkar’s last series as captain, Mohammad Azharuddin’s last as a player and one that led to the pandemonium of the match-fixing saga that brought the fall of Hansie Cronje.
India had other problems too. Rahul Dravid, V.V.S. Laxman and Yuvraj Singh were nursing injuries. Their replacements were M. Vijay, only three Test matches old, and the uncapped duo of S. Badrinath and Rohit Sharma.
The South Africans played a two-day tour match against the Indian Board President’s XI at Nagpur. Three days later, the first Test match went underway in the same city. though at the new stadium at Jamtha.
During the warm-up before the Test, a 22-year-old Rohit twisted his ankle. Back-up wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha became the unexpected debutant, that too as a specialist batter. It is another story that Rohit had to endure a three-and-a-half-year wait to eventually get his Test cap.
Electing to bat, South Africa were undone by a brilliant opening spell from Zaheer Khan, who left them tottering at 6/2 in the seventh over. Zaheer had completed the usual ritual of dismantling Smith’s stumps. But barring the first few overs, India were pushed out of the Test, courtesy a 340-run third-wicket stand between Amla (253*) and Kallis (173).
South Africa declared on Day 2 at 558/6 before the exceptional Steyn toyed around with the Indian batters. Virender Sehwag’s extravagance helped India to some respectability before the debutant Badrinath got a gritty fifty. Both batted for 139 balls. While Sehwag clobbered 109, Badrinath got 56.
Steyn’s 7-51, regarded as one of the finest fast bowling displays in the subcontinent, reduced India to 233. Following on, India managed 319, with Steyn completing his 10-wicket haul in the Test.
Even a century from Tendulkar could not help India avert an innings defeat.
The arena then shifted to Eden Gardens in Kolkata. A win for India would not only extend their unbeaten home run but also allow them to remain the top-ranked Test side. However, their chances looked thin after South Africa won the toss again, batted and raced to 218/1, with Alviro Petersen (100) and Amla (114) slamming tons.
Earlier, Zaheer had knocked off Smith in the third over (No, I am not copy-pasting from above or previous articles).
South African cricket’s history has had inexplicable moments galore. The final session of Day 1 was one such. From 218/1, they were bowled out for 296. While Ishant Sharma kept it tight at one end, Zaheer and Harbhajan Singh ran through them.
The tone for the Indian batting order was set by the murderous Sehwag, who blasted a 174-ball 165. He had his idol, Tendulkar (106), for support in their third-wicket stand of 249.
Avenging the Nagpur humiliation would mean outbatting South Africa on the Eden track. Laxman (143*) marked his return to the national side and his favourite venue with a century. He and his captain M.S. Dhoni (132*) added an unbroken stand of 259 as India declared at 643/6.
The timing of the declaration seemed fine when South Africa were reduced to 180/7, with Amla running out of his partners. But Wayne Parnell stayed with him for over 24 overs, and towards the end, even No. 11 Morne Morkel occupied the crease for over an hour.
There is always some drama in store at Eden. To prevent Amla from getting the strike, Sehwag did a Captain Russell from Lagaan and kicked the ball to the boundary when the former strolled for a single. The umpires stepped in and awarded five penalty runs to South Africa for India’s unfair fielding.
Well past his third hundred in as many innings in the series, Amla had brought South Africa to the brink of a series win and the No. 1 ranking. Then, with 16 minutes left in the play and nine mandatory balls left, Harbhajan, another Eden hero, trapped Morkel lbw to help India sneak a win.
Bedlam broke loose at the desperate Eden Gardens. India had levelled the series 1-1 to stay put at the top of the Test Rankings. They would be there for another year and a half.
With three centuries and an average of 490, Amla was chosen the Player of the Series.
Sachin Tendulkar scripts history
The ODI series began in Jaipur. Captained by Kallis, South Africa asked India to bat, and a combined batting effort enabled the hosts to 298/9.
Kallis kept the visitors in the hunt, but when he fell for 89, South Africa needed 74 to win from 42 balls, with two wickets in hand. Parnell and Steyn almost pulled off a heist by adding 65 in 38 balls for the ninth wicket.
Needing three off the final ball, Sreesanth and Dhoni paired to effect a run out to help India sneak out a one-run win to go 1-0 in the series.
The teams travelled to Gwalior for the second ODI, where India elected to bat and history was scripted. On a placid track, Tendulkar, almost 37, fought cramps to become the first man to slam an ODI double hundred. He was supported by Dinesh Karthik (79 off 85), Yusuf Pathan (36 off 23) and Dhoni (68* off 35) as he remained on 200 not out from 147 balls.
De Villiers got a 101-ball 114, but South Africans were bowled out for 248 in a chase of 402 and conceded the series.
Tendulkar rested in the final ODI at Ahmedabad, and India tried out their bench. South Africa elected to bat and came out all guns blazing. Loots Bosman (68 off 46) and Amla (87 off 103) added a 113-run opening stand off just 94 balls before skipper Kallis (104* off 94) and de Villiers (102* off 59) lit up Motera with dazzling fireworks to propel South Africa to 365/2.
Virat Kohli top-scored for India with 57, but India folded for 275 in the 45th over, with Steyn and Lonwabo Tsotsobe claiming three wickets each, helping South Africa return with a consolatory win.
1st Test: South Africa 558/6 decl. beat India 233 and 319 by an innings and 6 runs. Player of the Match: Hashim Amla.
2nd Test: South Africa 296 and 290 lost to India 643/6 decl. by an innings and 57 runs. Player of the Match: Hashim Amla.
Test series drawn 1-1. Player of the Series: Hashim Amla.
India won the ODI series 2-1. Player of the Series: Sachin Tendulkar.