Bangalore: Team India will start their second Test against South Africa at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Saturday. Not only the hosts, the stadium – hosting Test matches since 1974 – has been a happy hunting ground for opponents as well.
Out of 20 Test matches since its inception, India have lost six of them at Chinnaswamy – twice to Pakistan (1987, 2005) and Australia (1998, 2004), one each to West Indies (1974) and South Africa (2000).
(Pakistan dismissed India for 214, after setting them a target of 383, in 2005)
(India lost to Australia by 217 runs in 2004)
Even being known to the strip, India has won only six Tests here and the rest were drawn.
Going back to the opponents, South Africa will draw confidence from the fact that they tasted success here in 2000.
Batting first, India (under Sachin Tendulkar’s captaincy) were cleaned up for 158 with Anil Kumble being the top-scorer with an unbeaten 36.
Hansie Cronje’s champion side — with names like Lance Klusener, Daryll Cullinan, Allan Donald, Jacques Kallis — put up 479 on board, taking a 321-run lead.
India could only manage 250 in their second innings thereby losing the plot by an innings and 71 runs.
Nonetheless, India tasted win in the last two Tests held at this venue. They beat Australia by seven wickets in 2010, and New Zealand by five wickets in 2012.
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