नवीनतम
2nd Test: SA beat India by 408 runs
GUWAHATI [Maha Media]: South Africa handed India a crushing 408-run defeat to sweep the two-Test series 2-0, sealing one of their most dominant performances in recent years and inflicting on India consecutive home Test series losses for the first time in more than four decades.
India's chances of reaching the World Test Championship finals (WTC) took a major hit as they slipped to the fifth spot in standings following their embarrassing 0-2 series whitewash to South Africa at home.
The loss means the team, which had drawn the series against England earlier this year, slipped below Pakistan and are now at the fifth place with their PCT (percentage) dropping to 48.15.
South Africa had won the first Test at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. India, who were chasing a target of 549, was bowled out for 140 in their second essay. It was the Harmer show on day five as he returned with exceptional figures of 6 for 37 as he ran through the Indian batting line-up. He ended with a match haul of nine wickets.
Barring Ravindra Jadeja (54), no Indian batter showed resistance as it was an embarrassment at home for coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Rishabh Pant. India's 408-run defeat against South Africa at Guwahati is their largest in terms of runs in Tests. South Africa won a Test series against India in India after 25 years.
The tourists outplayed India in all three departments, with Aiden Markram (9) setting the record for most catches in a Test match, overtaking Ajinkya Rahane's eight claimed in 2015.
After the tea break, Sai Sudharsan's painful 138-ball stay came to an end as Senuran Muthusamy had him caught by Markram soon after as India failed to reach even 150. Earlier, skipper Rishabh Pant failed to survive the vagaries of a typical fifth-day track as off-spinner Harmer once again turned into India's nightmare.
The target of 549 was never in the equation, but the manner in which India struggled their way to 90 for 5 at tea signalled that Harmer was more at ease on this track than Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja had been through the two innings.
The Barsapara track was one of the best Indian tracks provided in recent times, where batters with proper technique and application were able to score, as the pacers who knew their lengths excelled, and spinners with guile ruled the roost.
Rishabh Pant lofted Keshav Maharaj into the stands, but he knew that survival was difficult. It was Harmer, who got one delivery to bounce and even as Pant tried to defend awkwardly was caught after it flew off the shoulder of the bat to Markram.
Temba Bavuma has kept his unbeaten Test record intact as skipper. South Africa dominated the game right from the beginning.
This is the third series for India at home where none of its batters scored a hundred. The other two series were against New Zealand in 1969-1970 and against New Zealand in 1995-1996. This is South Africa's second biggest win in terms of runs after 492 against Australia in Johannesburg, 2018.
In two successive years, India were whitewashed, first versus New Zealand and now versus South Africa, who are
The last time India lost two Test series at home across two consecutive years was over four decades ago, against the West Indies in 1983 and against England in 1984/85.
