Guwahati:Indian cricket has sunk to an all-time low as South Africa completed a 2-0 whitewash in the ongoing series, handing India their heaviest-ever Test defeat by 408 runs in Guwahati. This marks the first Test series win for South Africa in India in 25 years, their last coming in 2000 under Hansie Cronje.
The loss is India’s second consecutive home whitewash, following last year’s 3-0 defeat against New Zealand, and comes under the coaching of Gautam Gambhir, with India losing five of their last seven home Tests.
On the fifth day in Guwahati, India needed to bat out 90 overs to save the match with eight wickets in hand. However, another lackluster batting performance saw them bow out for 140. Sai Sudharsan batted 139 balls and Ravindra Jadeja scored a fifty, but no other batter offered resistance as South Africa dominated with ease.
For South Africa, the win represents their second-biggest Test victory and only their second-ever 400-plus run win in Test cricket. With this series triumph, South Africa also became the first team in this century to win multiple Test series in India.
The result has major implications for the World Test Championship standings, with India slipping to fifth place, below Pakistan. South Africa sit second with a 75% PCT, while Australia remain top with a perfect 100% record.
India’s previous biggest defeats by runs highlight the severity of this loss:
-
408 runs vs South Africa, Guwahati, 2025
-
342 runs vs Australia, Nagpur, 2004
-
341 runs vs Pakistan, Karachi, 2006
-
337 runs vs Australia, Melbourne, 2007
-
333 runs vs Australia, Pune, 2017
The crushing loss underscores India’s struggles with consistency and form, particularly in home conditions, and raises serious questions about the team’s preparations ahead of upcoming international assignments.
