As India prepare once again to face South Africa in a home Test series, memories stretch back to a very different time.1996. Motera, Ahmedabad. A raw November afternoon. No flashy cameras, no DRS, no comfort of covered stands. Just a crumbling pitch, dust in the air, and the echoes of a crowd that didn’t quite know how to behave.
South Africa were still new to international cricket, rebuilding from their years in isolation. But under Hansie Cronje, they were tough, proud, and ready. India, led by a young Sachin Tendulkar, were trying to find consistency. And in the middle of it all stood Javagal Srinath, a man who’d been good but not yet great.
The bowler who found himself
Until that point, Srinath’s Test career had been underwhelming. Twenty-one matches, 57 wickets, an average north of 36. He bowled fast, yes, but he was predictable, running in wide, hurling the ball into the right-handers, often missing the rhythm that separates the good from the special.
That Motera pitch changed everything. It wasn’t flat like most Indian wickets. It broke up early, turned dusty and cruel. Batting looked like a survival test. And from the moment the ball started biting, Srinath seemed to transform.
South Africa arrives, India struggles
India batted first and were bundled out for 223. Sachin’s 42 was the top score. Allan Donald bowled like a storm, 4 for 37, pure hostility. Jonty Rhodes threw himself around the field as if his body was made of rubber. South Africa replied with 244, taking a slim lead, thanks largely to Fanie de Villiers’ stubborn 67 at No. 9.
By the time India batted again, the pitch looked like the surface of the moon. Cracks everywhere. VVS Laxman, on debut, fought for a brave 51. Kumble hung around. The rest collapsed. India managed just 190, leaving the visitors a chase of 170. Seemed simple enough.
Then came Srinath.
The spell that broke South Africa
First ball of his second over, full, fast, swinging in. Andrew Hudson trapped in front. The umpire’s finger went up quickly, perhaps too quickly, but it was given. Next ball, Daryll Cullinan nicked one behind.
South Africa: 0 for 2.
What followed was pure chaos. Cronje resisted for a while, but the rest fell like cards. Richardson blocked endlessly before Srinath slipped one through him. Then, in a flash, six wickets were gone for just nine runs. South Africa folded for 105.
India had their first-ever Test win against South Africa.
Srinath had 6 for 21, the best figures of his life at that time. For once, a fast bowler had outshone the spinners in India.
A win wrapped in flaws
But it wasn’t all joy. That Test was chaos behind the scenes. Umpiring was a mess. Both S.K. Bansal and George Sharp made decisions that left everyone shaking their heads. Balls pitching outside leg were given lbw. Batsmen hit on the thigh pad were sent back. By the end, both sides felt wronged. Even Cronje said after the match, “We need neutral umpires.”
Then came the crowd trouble. As Laxman and Kumble tried to save India’s innings, frustration bubbled in the stands. A few fans started throwing chunks of concrete at South African fielders, real pieces of the stadium roof. One of them hit Paul Adams. Cronje marched his men off the field in protest. Play stopped for ten minutes.
The match referee had to warn the Gujarat Cricket Association that if things didn’t calm down, he would award the match to South Africa.
Even Sachin wasn’t spared that day. When he got out cheaply in the second innings, the crowd that once worshipped him booed him off. It was one of the first times in his career he faced that kind of hostility.
The beginning of a bowler’s legacy
For Srinath, though, that Test marked a turning point. His rhythm had returned. The way he hit the deck, the way the ball curved in late, it was like he had rediscovered who he was supposed to be. His strike rate improved dramatically from that match onwards.
He went on to become India’s pace spearhead for nearly a decade. Through injuries, heat, and flat tracks, he kept pushing, often alone, often uncelebrated. But that day in Ahmedabad was where his story really began.
Looking ahead
Now, almost three decades later, South Africa return to India once more. Different players, different era, yet the echoes of that 1996 Test still linger. It was ugly and glorious in equal measure. A match that tested patience, pride, and sanity.
And somewhere in that dust and noise, a man from Mysore learned how to roar.