South Africa Secures Historic Test Series Victory Against India

South Africa has achieved a significant milestone by winning a Test series against India, concluding the second match in Guwahati with a resounding victory by 408 runs. This triumph marks only the second time the South African team has secured a Test series win in India since 2000.

The defeat represents a historic low for India, as it is their largest loss by runs in Test cricket history. This result has implications for the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 standings, where South Africa has strengthened its position. The defending champions are now in second place, trailing Australia, with a total of 36 points from four matches. Their percentage of points earned (PCT) has improved from 66.67% to 75% following this series.

In contrast, India has fallen to fifth place in the standings, dropping below Pakistan, as their PCT decreased to 48.15% after the defeat.

The match began slowly for South Africa on the first day, but lower-order contributions from Senuran Muthusamy, who scored 109 runs, and Marco Jansen, who added 93 runs, propelled the team to a first-innings total of 489 runs.

Marco Jansen was also pivotal with the ball, claiming six wickets for just 48 runs, which led to India being dismissed for a mere 201 runs in their first innings. Notably, South Africa opted against enforcing the follow-on, instead extending their lead with a third innings score of 260 for 5 before declaring the innings.

Simon Harmer was awarded Player of the Match for his outstanding performance. After taking three wickets for 64 runs in the first innings, he continued to excel in the second innings, taking six wickets for 37 runs, which devastated India's batting line-up on the morning of Day 5.

Despite some resistance from Sai Sudarshan and Ravindra Jadeja, who scored 54 runs off 87 balls, India's batting ultimately collapsed, leading to the team's heavy defeat. Aiden Markram also contributed to South Africa's success with impressive fielding, including several spectacular catches.

The two teams are set to compete in a One Day International (ODI) series beginning on November 30, as South Africa looks to maintain their momentum following this historic victory.