GUWAHATI, India (AP) — Hansie Cronje was the South Africa captain in 2000 and Sachin Tendulkar led India the last time South Africa won a test series in India.
On Wednesday, some 25 years later, South Africa clinched its second series in India in that span by beating the hosts by 408 runs. World Test Championship winner South Africa won the opening test at Kolkata by 30 runs.
Off-spinner Simon Harmer took a career-best 6-37 and India crashed to be 140
all out in its second innings and lose the two-match series 2-0.
In 2000, the Cronje-led South Africans also clinched a 2-0 win. The Proteas had won both tests in Mumbai and Bengaluru, against the Tendulkar-led India.
Since then, South Africa had managed to win only two of 13 tests in India before overturning that record in Kolkata and Guwahati this year.
“It is a massive win. This is what we keep working towards, keep dreaming of," South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said. "It is not every day that you can come to India and walk away with a 2-0 series win. Some of us have been on the other side of this result, and I think that’s what makes it sweeter.”
South Africa had set an improbable 549 runs for victory, after it scored 489 and 260-5 in two innings. India had folded for 201 runs in its first innings, conceding a 288-run lead.
India had lost three wickets in the morning session Wednesday, and was 90-5 at tea. Then it lost a further five wickets in just over an hour in the second session, comprehensively beaten before lunch on day five.
It was India’s biggest test defeat by runs — its previous highest margin of defeat (by runs) was 342 against Australia in 2004 at Nagpur. Overall, India has lost five of its last seven home tests — a first in 66 years. Its two wins came against West Indies last month.
“It’s a little disappointing and as a team we need to get better. You have to credit the opposition for playing better cricket than us," India captain and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant said. "They dominated the series. You cannot take things for granted playing at home.”
It was a second home loss for India in consecutive seasons. New Zealand won 3-0 in October 2024, raising a serious question about India’s transitional phase in the red-ball format.
Harmer finished with 17 wickets in the two tests, scripting a historic win for the Proteas. It was a first five-wicket haul on Indian soil for the off-spinner — he had previously had four four-wicket hauls here.
Harmer was named player of the series.
“(We) beat a very good Indian team,” Harmer said. “It is nice to get a five-for in India. They put up a good fight and would bat for their lives. But we put the ball in the right areas.”
Aiden Markram supported him with nine catches in the match — the most ever for a fielder in a single test in history.
Ravindra Jadeja top-scored for India with 54 off 87 balls, including four fours and two sixes, even as the hosts missed skipper Shubman Gill. He suffered a neck injury in Kolkata and missed the second test.
Bavuma, meanwhile, has won 11 out of 12 tests for South Africa as skipper, including the 2025 World Test Championship final in June.
South African allrounder Marco Jansen was named player of the match for scoring 93 in the first innings and taking six wickets for 48 runs.
Cronje’s South Africa won a closely fought first test in Mumbai by four wickets, and then registered an innings’ victory in the second test at Bengaluru.
Pacers Shaun Pollock (9) and Allan Donald (7) had shared 16 wickets in two tests, while left-arm spinner Nicky Boje picked up seven wickets. For India, Anil Kumble took 12 wickets in the two tests. Gary Kirsten top-scored for the Proteas with 149 runs in three innings, while Jacques Kallis scored 136 runs.
Tendulkar led with 97 in the first test, while Mohammed Azharuddin scored 102 in his 99th (and final) test at Bengaluru. But India went down 2-0 to lose a first home series since 1987, when it had lost to Pakistan.
It was Tendulkar’s last assignment as India skipper. Cronje, banned not long after that 2000 test series for match-fixing, died in a plane crash in 2002.
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