BBC SPORT | CRICKET | South Africa v India 1992/93

After 22 years without Test cricket, South Africa finally welcomed an official overseas touring party to their shores.

And it was doubly significant that in the post-apartheid era, it should be India that travelled to the republic for the first time.

When South Africa's international sporting ban had been lifted the previous year, it had been India who offered the hand of friendship by playing a home one-day series against a side captained by Clive Rice.

Since then, the South Africans had reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in Australia and made a trip to the Caribbean to play a one-off Test against West Indies - which they lost after putting themselves in a winning position.

Azharuddin and Wessels at the toss of the coin before the second Test
But when the time for a full home series finally arrived, it was India who were invited by the new United Cricket Board.

There was only one positive result in the four matches, but the South African crowds were treated to some magnificent cricket by the likes of Kapil Dev, Mohammad Azharuddin and the prodigiously talented Sachin Tendulkar.

A fourth day wash-out spoiled the opening game in Durban, in which spinner Omar Henry became, at the age of 40, the first black player to appear in a Test for South Africa.

The game began with opener Jimmy Cook bowled first ball by Manoj Prabhakar but home skipper Kepler Wessels, who had previously played Test cricket for Australia, guided his team to a total of 254 by scoring 118.

India managed a first-innings lead of 23 despite being reduced to 38 for four as debutant Pravin Amre (103) and Kiran More (55) put on 101 for the eighth wicket.

The scorecard

1st Test (Durban); Match drawn

2nd Test (Johannesburg); Match drawn

3rd Test (Port Elizabeth); South Africa won by nine wickets

4th Test (Cape Town); Match drawn

The rain meant, however, that when South Africa batted again at the start of the final day a draw was inevitable. Andrew Hudson took the opportunity to make 55 before a halt was called with the home side on 176 for three.

A superb innings of 111 by Tendulkar was the highlight of the second game in Johannesburg and on reaching 33 he became the youngest player in history to reach 1,000 Test runs - aged just 19 years and 217 days.

South Africa were 11 for three on the opening morning but managed to total 292, thanks almost entirely to Brian McMillan and Jonty Rhodes, who made 98 and 91 respectively. McMillan then claimed four for 74 as India subsided to 227 all out in reply despite Tendulkar's century.

The home side were given a good start to their second innings by Hudson (53) and Dave Richardson (50) but leg-spinner Anil Kumble put India back in the game by taking six for 53 as they were dismissed for 252.

Set 318 to win, Inda reached 68 for nought, but the loss of four wickets for five runs led to them settling for safety and the game ended disappointingly with their score on 141 for four.

A young Sachin Tendulkar in action during the Wanderers Test match
The teams moved on to Port Elizabeth where Allan Donald and Hansie Cronje were the men to inspire South Africa to a nine-wicket win.

Fast bowler Donald took five for 55 as the tourists were dismissed for 212 and Cronje, batting at number three, then scored 135 in a South African total of 275.

India's top-order again had no answer to the speed and accuracy of Donald as they slumped to 31 for six in their second innings, but they recovered to reach 215 all out after a magnificent innings of 129 by Kapil Dev.

He was eventually caught by McMillan off Donald, who claimed seven for 84, and South Africa made light of their victory target as Wessels saw them to 155 for one with an unbeaten 95.

The series came to an end in Cape Town, where another rain-affected match ended in a draw. Rhodes (86) and McMillan (52) were the main contributors to South Africa's 360 for nine declared, and Tendulkar scored 73 as India replied with 276.

Javagal Srinath took four for 33 before the home side declared their second innings on 130 for six, but the weather prevented any chance of India making 215 to win and they were 29 for one at the close.

South Africa also took the one-day series 3-2, but the tour's confirmation of their acceptance back into the international cricket fold was their biggest victory of all.


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