Ravindra Jadeja is playing for India in the ongoing second Test against South Africa at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, and on Tuesday, November 25, he joined Anil Kumble and Ravichandran Ashwin in an elite list of India bowlers. The two wickets in the morning session of the fourth day’s play in Guwahati helped Jadeja take his tally of wickets to 50 in Test cricket against South Africa. He is only the fifth Indian bowler after Kumble, Javagal Srinath, Harbhajan Singh and Ashwin to dismiss at least 50 South African batters in the five-day format of the game.
The ongoing match in Guwahati is Jadeja’s 11th Test against South Africa, and in 19 innings he has picked up 50 wickets so far.
The record of taking the most wickets in Tests for India
against South Africa is in the name of Kumble. During his 18-year-long Test career, the legendary spinner played 21 Tests against the Proteas and accounted for the dismissal of 84 batters.
Most wickets for India in Tests against South Africa
| PLAYER | MATCHES | WICKETS | BEST FIGURES | 5-WKT 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 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 10* | 46* | 6/61 | 4 |
| Zaheer Khan | 12 | 40 | 4/62 | 0 |
| S Sreesanth | 9 | 31 | 5/40 | 2 |
| Zaheer Khan | 15 | 31 | 4/79 | 0 |
In addition to five Indians, five South African bowlers have also picked up more than 50 wickets in Test matches played between the two teams.
Most wickets in India-South Africa Tests
| PLAYER | TEAM | MATCHES | WICKETS | BEST FIGURES | 5-WKT HAULS |
| Anil Kumble | India | 21 | 84 | 6/53 | 3 |
| Dale Steyn | South Africa | 14 | 65 | 7/51 | 5 |
| Javagal Srianth | India | 13 | 64 | 6/21 | 4 |
| Harbhajan Singh | India | 11 | 60 | 7/87 | 4 |
| Morne Morkel | South Africa | 17 | 58 | 5/20 | 1 |
| Allan Donald | South Africa | 11 | 57 | 7/84 | 3 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | India | 14 | 57 | 7/66 | 5 |
| Kagiso Rabada | South Africa | 15 | 55 | 5/59 | 1 |
| Shaun Pollock | South Africa | 12 | 52 | 6/56 | 2 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | India | 11* | 50* | 6/138 | 3 |
Jadeja has picked up 44 wickets in 17 innings of nine Tests played so far against South Africa in India. If he manages to take at least three more wickets in the ongoing match, then he will overtake Ashwin and become the highest wicket-taker in Test matches between India and South Africa in India.
Most wickets in India-South Africa Tests in India
| PLAYER | TEAM | MATCHES | WICKETS | BEST FIGURES | 5-WKT 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 | South Africa | 6 | 26 | 7/51 | 2 |
Ashwin, who retired from international cricket in December 2024, played seven Tests against South Africa in India and accounted for the dismissal of 46 batters.
