It was India that first moved to reinduct South Africa to the International Cricket Council, India that became the first non-white country to have cricketing relations with South Africa after the withdrawal of the ban.

South Africa thanked India in style, thrashing it by nine wickets in the third Test at Port Elizabeth to win the four-Test series 1-0.

With the two teams less than 24 hours away from resuming the battle for supremacy in the Test arena, here is a quick look at their past encounters:

I Test at Durban, November 13-17, 1992 This was the first Test to be played in South Africa since the 1969-1970 series, and it began in sensational fashion when debutant Jimmy Cook, aged 39, was out to the first ball of the match, bowled by Kapil Dev.

In the same game, South African skipper Kepler Wessles hit up a century (118 in 266 balls, 18 fours) to become the first ever batsman to score Test hundreds for two different countries, namely Australia and South Africa. Omar Henry, in the same game, became the first coloured player to appear for the home side in Tests, besides becoming their oldest Test player at 40 years and 295 days.

On day two, India's Sachin Tendulkar became the first player in Test history to be dismissed by means of television and the third umpire, when he chanced a quick single to Jonty Rhodes at backward point. Andre Hudson received the ball and ran him out.

On day three, Pravin Amre became the ninth Indian to score a hundred on debut - 103 (in 299 balls, 11 fours).

Rain washed out play on the fourth day. And the match meandered to the predictable draw. Overall scores: South Africa 254 all out and 176/3, India 277.

II Test at Johannesburg, November 26-30, 1992 South Africa, at one stage 26 for 4 and then 73 for 5 thanks to a destructive spell of 4-3-2-3 by Manoj Prabhakar, were rescued by Jonty Rhodes (91 in 89 balls, 10 fours) and Brian McMillan (98 in 203 balls, 12 fours).

Interestingly, when on 26 in a score of 16 for four, Rhodes had an escape when umpire Steve Bucknor refused to refer a run out appeal to the third umpire. Slow motion replays indicated that the batsman was way out of his ground.

Pace bowler Meyrick Pringle took a nasty blow on the eye from Javagal Srinath, putting him out of action for the rest of the series.

Tendulkar scored his fourth Test hundred (111 in 270 balls, 19 fours) and, in course of the innings, became the youngest player ever to reach 1000 Test runs - he was then 19 years and 217 days old, and playing in his 28th Test.

On the fourth day, South Africa collapsed again from 170-3 to 252, Kumble (6 for 53 in 44 overs) doing the bulk of the damage. Set to score 318 to win, India were 15-0 at the end of fourth day. However on the fifth and last day the Indians lost 4 wickets for five runs in 29 balls. This session was memorable for Ravi Shastri's marathon stonewalling (runless for 91 minutes, then stuck on nine for a further 68 deliveries), as also for fighting knocks by Sanjay Manjrekar (32 in 116 balls, 2 fours) and Amre (35 in 110 balls, 3 fours) to force a draw via an unbeaten 68 run partnership for the fifth wicket.

Capsule scores: South Africa 292 and 252, India 227 and 141 for four.

III Test, Port Elizabeth, December 26-29 Thanks to a 60 (in 88 balls, 7 fours) by Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin, India managed to recover from an early slump to total a modest 212 in its first innings. Allan Donald did the bulk of the damage, taking five for 55 in 27 overs.

A second wicket partnership of 117 between Andrew Hudson and Hansie Cronje - the latter scoring 135 runs in 411 balls with one six and 12 fours, to register his maiden Test century and the second slowest ton for South Africa) helped the home team to a first innings lead.

In the second innings, India 31 for 6, then 88 for 7 before rallying thanks to a superb 129 by Kapil Dev, batting with an injured hand. The injury did not prevent the Indian all rounder from getting his runs off just 177 balls with one six and 14 fours. In the event, this was to be the last century for Dev in Tests.

Donald was again the chief wrecker, taking seven for 84 in 28 overs to finish with match figures of 12 for 139. Wicketkeeper Dave Richardson, who took five catches in the second innings, equalled the South African record of nine catches in a Test.

Set a target of 153, the home team won with nine wickets and a day to spare. Hudson and Wessles (95 in 167 balls, 12 fours) put on 98 for the first wicket.

Capsule scores: India 212 and 215, South Africa 275 and 155/1.

IV Test, Cape Town, January 2-6 A 99 run partnership for the 5th wicket between debutant Daryll Cullinan (46) and Rhodes (86 in 236 balls, 11 fours) rescued the home side from 78 for 4, and along with a useful contribution from Brian McMillan helped lift the home side to declare at 360/9.

Despite a fighting 62 (in 252 balls, 6 fours) by Manoj Prabhakar and Tendulkar's 73 (in 208 balls, 1 six and 8 fours), India ended its first innings on 276, well short of the home side's total.

On the final day of play, Srinath's burst of 4 for 33 in 27 overs gave the home side a scare, but the match eventually ended in a draw to give South Africa the series 1-0 - the only one to have been played between the two sides thus far.

Capsule scores: South Africa 360 for nine declared and 130 for six declared; India 276 and 29/1.