The top two sides in the Test rankings will collide from Friday when South Africa host India in a three-match series.
It's a case of form against history, with Virat Kohli's men in search of India's first series win in South Africa after coming up short on six previous occasions dating back to 1992/93.
Their most recent visit to South Africa was in the 2013/14 season, with the Proteas winning the two-Test series 1-0 thanks to a strong bowling effort led by Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander.
India will have learned from that series, with 13 of India's squad of 17 having taken part in Johannesburg and Durban four years ago.
"A lot of our players have played here before," Kohli said in a press conference ahead of the first Test. "But it's about the number of games we had played then and the number we have played now.
"We all understand our own games so much better. As a team we have confidence in our personal skill set."
India's incredible form
Kohli's words are not without merit. There are only two teams to have beaten India in a Test in the last three years; Sri Lanka and Australia managing one win apiece.
The last team to beat India in a Test series were the Aussies, who succeeded 2-0 in a four-game affair in 2014/15.
Since then India have played in 10 series, beating South Africa, England and Sri Lanka for a record of nine wins and one draw - the shared spoils coming against Bangladesh.
They've become adept at amassing big totals and piling the pressure on their opponents, with the top-order batsman taking turns to dig in for big scores when others have failed around them.
"There's a sense of intelligence and awareness and that provides the excitement," Kohli continued. "We know exactly what we need to do come game time. We know how to win Test matches."
South Africa's seamers up to the task?
On the surface, South Africa's seam attack has a hardened edge and appears to be transitioning well.
Steyn, Philander and Morne Morkel are the seasoned campaigners, who have recently been joined by promising youngster Andile Phehlukwayo as well as future star Kagiso Rabada, whose stock in world cricket has risen sharply since making his debut two years ago.
Rabada has taken 105 wickets in 23 Tests for South Africa, shouldering the Proteas' strike-bowling duties while Steyn has been injured.
Philander swings the ball expertly while Morkel's height paired with green pitches makes batting difficult in South Africa. There are plenty of options available to new coach Ottis Gibson, but on which area of attack will he bank on toppling India?
There is also spinner Keshav Maharaj to consider, who has claimed 56 wickets in an international career that started only 14 months ago.
With wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock an adept batsman - and AB de Villiers on hand to wear the gloves in an emergency, as he did in the four-day Test against Zimbabwe last month - certain combinations allow South Africa to bat fairly deep; all-rounder Chris Morris offers lower order runs, as does Philander.
However, the key to the series won't be the lower-order Proteas runs, it will be top-order Indian wickets. The pitches will be prepared to suit South Africa's seamers, so skipper Faf du Plessis will want them all to cash in when thrown the ball.
Who edges the batting stakes?
If there is one area where India potentially have an advantage it's in the top order: Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara are ranked second and third in the world respectively in Tests - behind Steve Smith - while South Africa's best-ranked batsman is Hashim Amla in seventh spot.
There is the small matter of De Villiers to consider, though - the 33-year-old recently returning to Test cricket following a lengthy absence and aiming to improve his current ranking of 18th.
"AB is a great friend of mine," said Kohli. "I respect the way he plays the game and I have always respected him as a person. But when we are playing against each other it's about wanting to get AB out. I'm sure the opposition want the same when I play."
India are aware of the threat of De Villiers, but will their bowlers be able to get the same out of the pitches as their opponents? Or will De Villiers and his team-mates squeeze the life out of the game early on?
If the Proteas are allowed to conjure big totals, expect their bowlers to come out firing to pile even more pressure on the Indian batsmen.
Regardless of the outcome, South Africa's series against India is set to produce some intriguing Test cricket as the top sides in the five-day game go head to head.
Watch the first Test between South Africa and India, in Cape Town, live from 8.25am on Friday on Sky Sports Cricket (channel 404).