India Hit Historic Low, Suffer Biggest Home Defeat By Runs In 2nd Test, Swept 0-2 By South Africa

India suffered their heaviest defeat by runs at home in a Test match as South Africa swept the series 2-0

Rishabh Pant's India were humbled by South Africa in Guwahati — Rishabh Pant’s India were humbled by South Africa in Guwahati

Team India’s home fortress in Tests stands breached, torn into, and uprooted as South Africa secure a 2-0 sweep, winning both matches by convincing margins. After a 3-day triumph against Shubman Gill’s Team India in Kolkata, South Africa secured a thumping 5-day win in Guwahati, securing their first series triumph in the country since 2000-01. The victory marked another historic milestone for the Proteas, who became the first team to beat India by over 400 runs in a Test match in their own home.

India’s worst defeat until the Guwahati Test had come in 2004 when Australia had beaten the hosts by 342 runs in the Nagpur Test. South Africa’s biggest win in India, on the other hand, had come in the 1996 series. It was also the first time since the 2000-01 series that South Africa managed to complete a 2-0 sweep in India.

India’s biggest defeats in terms of runs in Test cricket:

408 runs vs South Africa in 2025

342 runs vs Australia in 2004

341 runs vs Pakistan in 2006

337 runs vs Australia in 2007

333 runs vs Australia in 2017

329 runs vs South Africa in 1996

World Test Championship winner South Africa clinched the two-match series 2-0 after taking the opener in Kolkata by 30 runs and the second match by a whopping 408 runs in Guwahati.

Chasing an improbable 549-run target, India was down to 27-2 at stumps on Tuesday on Day 4. India lost its openers early Tuesday when Yashasvi Jaiswal was caught behind for 13 runs, while Lokesh Rahul was bowled for six. On the 5th day, wickets kept falling like a house of cards, with B Sai Sudharsan’s 139-ball 14 encapsulating the desperate attempt by the hosts to push for a draw. Ravindra Jadeja slammed a fighting fifty but it wasn’t enough to rescue a stalemate.

The likes of Simon Harmer and Senuran Muthusamy spun an unbreakable web around the Indian batting unit, bowling them out for 140 runs in the second innings. Harmer was the pick of the bowlers for the Proteas in the second innings, bagging 6 wickets for 37 runs while Keshav Maharaj, Muthusamy and Marco Jansen pitched in with 2, 1 and 1 wickets respectively.

In the first innings, Marco Jansen took 6-48 to help South Africa take a 314-run first innings lead when India was bowled out for 201 in reply to South Africa’s 489.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/india-vs-south-africa-2025-india/india-hit-historic-low-suffer-biggest-home-defeat-by-runs-swept-0-2-by-south-africa-9701645