NEW DELHI: Spinner Simon Harmer ran through India’s batting line-up, claiming six wickets as South Africa crushed the hosts by 408 runs in the second Test on Wednesday, completing a 2-0 series sweep. The defeat marked India’s heaviest loss in Test cricket by runs and gave South Africa their first series win in India in 25 years. Chasing a daunting 549-run target, India were bowled out for just 140 on day five in Guwahati, with Ravindra Jadeja top-scoring with a gritty 54 off 87 balls.Harmer, 36, finished with career-best figures of 6-37 and ended the match with nine wickets, scripting a historic win for the Proteas.
Left-arm pacer Marco Jansen, who had earlier scored a quickfire 93 and taken 6-48 in India’s first innings, was named player of the match. Aiden Markram also starred, taking nine catches in the match — the most by a fielder in a single Test.
Clean-sweeps for India in Tests at home
| Year | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | South Africa | 0-2 |
| 2024 | New Zealand | 0-3 |
| 2025 | South Africa | 0-2 |
INDIA STRUGGLE DESPITE BRIEF RESISTANCEIndia’s innings collapsed rapidly on day five. Sai Sudharsan narrowly survived a no-ball, while Kuldeep Yadav was reprieved on four after a slip drop. However, Harmer struck quickly, removing Kuldeep for five, followed by Dhruv Jurel for two and Rishabh Pant for 13, leaving India reeling at 58-5. Jadeja resisted with his fifty, including four boundaries and two sixes, but was eventually stumped by Keshav Maharaj. Mohammed Siraj was dismissed shortly after by a stunning one-handed catch by Jansen in the deep.South Africa had set India a mammoth target after scoring 489 in the first innings and declaring at 260-5 in the second. Senuran Muthusamy’s maiden Test century (109) in the first innings had laid the foundation for the visitors’ dominance. India’s batters never threatened the target, folding for 140 to concede a 408-run defeat.
India’s biggest Test defeats by runs
| Runs Lost | Opponent | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 408 | South Africa | Guwahati | 2025 |
| 342 | Australia | Nagpur | 2004 |
| 341 | Pakistan | Karachi | 2006 |
| 337 | Australia | Melbourne | 2007 |
| 333 | Australia | Pune | 2017 |
| 329 | South Africa | Kolkata | 1996 |
REFLECTING ON THE HISTORIC WINThis is South Africa’s second series win in India, the first coming under Hansie Cronje in 2000-01. Temba Bavuma, maintaining his unbeaten streak as Test captain, led the team with composure and tactical brilliance. For India, this defeat follows a 3-0 home series loss to New Zealand last year, highlighting concerns over their transitional phase in red-ball cricket.Pant acknowledged the team’s shortcomings, saying, “Cricket demands that you capitalise as a team. We didn’t do that, and it cost us the series. We need to take the learnings and get better.”With Harmer’s six-wicket haul, Jansen’s all-round performance, and Markram’s record-breaking fielding, South Africa reinforced their dominance across all departments, leaving India to reflect on a challenging home season and a historic clean sweep for the visitors.
