Ravindra Jadeja has achieved a major milestone in the ongoing India vs South Africa Test series in Guwahati. The Indian all-rounder completed 50 Test wickets against South Africa, becoming the fifth Indian bowler overall to reach this landmark.
More importantly, Ravindra Jadeja is now the only Indian left-arm spinner in history to take 50 wickets against the Proteas. He reached the milestone during South Africa’s second innings after dismissing both openers.
Jadeja picked 4 wickets in the second innings and finished the match with a total of 6 wickets, continuing his impressive record against South Africa.
Indian Bowlers With 50+ Test Wickets vs South Africa
| Bowler | Wickets | Innings |
|---|---|---|
| Anil Kumble | 84 | 40 |
| Javagal Srinath | 64 | 25 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 60 | 19 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 57 | 26 |
| Ravindra Jadeja* | 50 | 19 |
Most Test Wickets Against South Africa in India
| Bowler | Team | Matches | Wickets | Best Figures | 5-Wicket Hauls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravichandran Ashwin | India | 7 | 46 | 7/66 | 5 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | India | 9 | 44* | 5/21 | 2 |
| Harbhajan Singh | India | 7 | 42 | 7/87 | 3 |
| Anil Kumble | India | 9 | 39 | 6/131 | 2 |
| Dale Steyn | SA | 6 | 26 | 7/51 | 2 |
Most Test Wickets for India vs South Africa (Overall)
| Bowler | Matches | Wickets | Best | 5W Hauls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anil Kumble | 21 | 84 | 6/53 | 3 |
| Javagal Srinath | 13 | 64 | 6/21 | 4 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 11 | 60 | 7/87 | 4 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 14 | 57 | 7/66 | 5 |
| Ravindra Jadeja* | 11 | 50 | 6/138 | 3 |
| Mohammed Shami | 11 | 48 | 5/28 | 3 |
This achievement places Jadeja among India’s finest Test bowlers. His consistency against a strong batting side like South Africa shows his value in long-format cricket. In this Test series alone, Jadeja has already picked up 10 wickets across two matches.
Also see: India Biggest Defeats in Test Cricket by Runs
He has also overtaken legends like Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble to become India second-highest Test wicket-taker against South Africa at home, only behind R. Ashwin.
Despite Jadeja’s heroics, India are under pressure in the Guwahati Test. South Africa have set a massive target of 549 runs, and India ended Day 4 at 27/2. The hosts need 522 runs on the final day — an almost impossible task. While the match situation looks difficult for India, Jadeja’s milestone has been a major positive in the series.
