South Africa wallop India by 408 runs to register first series win in India in 25 years

Indian batting slipped once again on Simon Harmer as they handed South Africa a 408-run win, their second biggest in terms of runs after the 492-run victory over Australia in 2018, in Guwahati on Wednesday.

Courtesy this, and their 30-run win in the first Test at Kolkata, Temba Bavuma’s South Africa walked away with a 2-0 win in the series.

This was the Proteas’ first-ever series win in India since their 2-0 triumph back in 2000. Both have been whitewashes.

Since then, they have drawn Test series 1-1 twice -- in 2007-08 and 2009-10 before losing 3-0 in 2015 on rank turners and 3-0 in 2019.  

Trailing by 521 runs and with eight wickets in hand, India needed to bat out the whole day to survive and draw the Test for pride’s sake as it would have still meant that they would lose the series.

But any chance of a fightback blew away in thin air as Simon Harmer picked two early wickets, removing nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav and No. 4 Dhruv Jurel in quick succession leaving India at 42/4. Soon he had stand-in skipper Rishabh Pant caught off a defensive prod to leave India at 58/5 and staring down the barrel.

Sai Sudharshan’s watchful innings, in which he scored 14 off 139 balls, did not help as it kept the pressure on the team and the wickets kept falling.

After a 37-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja, who looked pro-active and tried to provide impetus, Sudharshan was dismissed post tea, the second session of the day here, edging to Aiden Markram off Senuran Muthusamy, who had scored a century on Day 2.

A 35-run partnership ensued between Washington Sundar (16 off 44 balls) and Jadeja (54 off 87 balls) before Harmer’s sharp turn and bounce caught the edge of Sundar’s bat for Markram to take his ninth catch, a record number for catches in a Test.

That was the end of any resistance that India put up on the final day as Nitish Reddy, Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj fell quickly one after the other.

Earlier, after the Proteas made 489 in first innings, India were bowled out for 201 in first innings, conceding a lead of 288. South Africa had then replied with 260/5 declared with Tristan Stubbs scoring 94.

This is India’s second Test series whitewash in the last three that they have played at home. Last year, they lost to New Zealand 3-0. Prior to this, they had beaten West Indies 2-0.

The loss puts India at No. 5 in the ICC World Test hampionship points table behind Australia (100 PCT or Percentage Points), South Africa (75 PCT), Sri Lanka (66.67 PCT) and Pakistan (50 PCT). India have 48.15 percentage points.

The series wound up Proteas’ subcontinent Test sojourn where they toured Pakistan and India. They had drawn the 2-Test series in Pakistan 1-1 before clinching the series against India 2-0.

Tags : South Africa, cricket, Simon Harmer, Temba Bavuma, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, ICC