South Africa seek a rare recovery

1974 The last time a team winning the toss chose to field first in a Test in Bangalore. This was the first ever Test at this venue, when India won the toss and sent in West Indies, who won that Test by 267 runs. In 19 Tests since then, teams winning the toss have batted first. However, with a win-loss record of 7-5 and losses in the last-two Tests, there is nothing to indicate that the team batting first holds a distinct advantage at this venue.

1 Number of Tests played by South Africa in Bangalore, which was in 2000. They won that Test by a margin of an innings and 71 runs. Since then and including that loss to South Africa, India have a win-loss record of 2-3 in Bangalore. In Tests since 2000, Bangalore is the one of the only two home venues where India have lost more Tests than they have won, the other being Wankhede Stadium.

1 Number of times South Africa have come from behind to win the second Test and level a series 1-1 in India. In a three-match series in 1996-97, South Africa had won the second Test in Kolkata after losing the first in Ahmedabad. However, they lost the third Test of the series in Kanpur to concede the series 2-1. South Africa have never recovered from 1-0 deficit after the first Test to win an away series. Playing at home though, they have managed this three times. The last such instance was when the beat West Indies 2-1 in 2007-08. Against India in 2006-07, South Africa had recovered from their loss in Johannesburg to beat them 2-1. The first such occurrence was in 1994-95 when they beat New Zealand in a three-match series.

2 Number of times before this series, a visiting team has recovered from 1-0 deficit after the first Test to win a series in India. On both occasions, England were the overseas team. The last such instance was in 2012-13 when they won the four-Test series 2-1. The only other such instance was in 1984-85 when England won a five-Test series 2-1 in 1984-85. On two other occasions, visiting teams have managed to salvage a draw from 1-0 down: West Indies did it in a three-Test series in 1994-95 and New Zealand did it in 1969-70.

6 Number of South Africa players who have played 100 or more Tests before AB de Villiers, for whom the Bangalore Test will be his 100th. De Villiers has made 7685 runs for South Africa at 54.54 and has hit 21 centuries. Only Jacques Kallis averaged better than de Villiers after his 100th Test: Kallis had made 7928 runs at an average of 56.22.

12 Wickets by Ishant Sharma in Tests in Bangalore - the joint second highest he has taken at any venue. The last time he played here, which was against Australia in 2008, Ishant took 7 for 117 in the match. His first Test at this venue was against Pakistan when he took a five-wicket haul in the first innings. Ishant averages 21.41 in Bangalore - the best he averages at any venue where he has played more than on Test.

154 Run by Virat Kohli in the only Test he has played in Bangalore before this in 2012-13. Kohli had made 103 and 51* against New Zealand on that occasion. M Vijay also got a hundred in the only Test he played at this venue - he had made 139 and 37 against Australia 2010-11. Apart from these two, only four other India players from their current squad - Cheteshwar Pujara , R Ashwin, Ishant and Umesh Yadav - have played in Tests in Bangalore.

187 Runs Hashim Amla is short of completing 7000 Test runs. He will be the fifth South Africa batsman to the landmark after Gary Kirsten, Jacques Kallis, Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers. Amla will be playing the 86th match of his Test career and should he reach the landmark in Bangalore, he will be the second-quickest South Africa batsman after Smith, who got to this landmark in 85 Tests.

39.71 Runs spinners average per wicket in Tests in Bangalore - the second worst at any venue in India where they have taken 50 or more wickets since 2000. They have taken 116 wickets including nine-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket haul for the match at this venue. Fast bowlers have taken 126 wickets at 34.76 in Bangalore since 2000.

83 Wickets overseas fast bowlers have taken in Bangalore in Tests since 2000 - the most they have taken at any venue in India. They average 31.27 for each wicket at this venue, which is their second-best at any venue in India.