NEW DELHI: South Africa completed a historic and dominant tour of India with a crushing 408-run victory in the second Test at Guwahati, sealing a 2-0 series sweep and handing India their biggest Test defeat ever in terms of runs. This emphatic win also marked South Africa’s first Test series triumph on Indian soil in 25 years, making it a milestone achievement for captain Temba Bavuma, who now joins Hansie Cronje in the record books while maintaining his unbeaten streak as Test skipper.Chasing an improbable target of 549, India never really got going. Ravindra Jadeja fought valiantly, scoring a gritty 54 off 87 balls, but his resistance was in vain. Sai Sudharsan endured a marathon 138-ball innings, only to be dismissed by Senuran Muthusamy soon after the second session began, as India were bowled out for 140.
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 |
Off-spinner Simon Harmer was the star with the ball, recording career-best figures of 6/37 and finishing with nine wickets in the match. His clinical spin, combined with Keshav Maharaj’s support, dismantled India’s batting lineup completely.South Africa dominated in all departments. In the field, Aiden Markram grabbed nine catches — a new world record for most by a fielder in a Test match, surpassing Ajinkya Rahane’s eight taken against Sri Lanka in Galle in 2015. Marco Jansen and Senuran Muthusamy’s contributions earlier in the series also played a key role in swinging momentum decisively in South Africa’s favour.
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 |
This victory was significant not just for the margin but also for context. It is South Africa’s second-biggest Test win by runs, only behind their 492-run triumph against Australia in Johannesburg in 2018. It also marks their second Test series win in India, the first being a 2-0 sweep under Hansie Cronje in February-March 2000. For India, this was their second home Test series defeat in consecutive years — a 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand in 2024 followed by the 0-2 loss to South Africa — something they had not experienced since the early 1980s, when they lost back-to-back series to West Indies (1983) and England (1984/85).India’s record defeats in terms of runs now list 408 against South Africa in Guwahati 2025 at the top, followed by 342 vs Australia in Nagpur 2004, 341 vs Pakistan in Karachi 2006, and 337 vs Australia in Melbourne 2007. The 408-run loss surpasses the previous worst margins, underlining South Africa’s complete dominance throughout the series.
