The morning of the Guwahati, hardly any Indian fan could have guessed that this day would write a bitter line in history. South Africa ended a 24-year wait to win a Test series in India. This is the defeat of 408 runs. Which is the big defeat of India. India had never seen such a margin at home before. The same team that had been undefeated on home soil for a decade has now been defeated five times in the past few months.
Spin Storm: Harmer steals the show
On the fifth day, Simon Harmer faced the Indian batsmen not as a spinner, but as a complete strategist. He landed each ball like a carefully placed file on a table—precise, calm, and ruthless.
His six-wicket haul sealed India’s second innings like a door slowly but surely closing. It was his first five-wicket haul in India. The wait was long, but the impact was absolutely stinging.
Ravindra Jadeja kept the small flame of struggle burning, but his fall stumped became the soundbite of the Indian test team’s condition—like a building that looks strong from outside but is cracked from within.
India aims high, almost like a dream
Making 522 runs, almost like a dream. Even an optimistic supporter would have considered this only a possibility, not a hope. Yet the beauty of cricket is that stories often turn upside down. But not this time.
Harmer uprooted two pillars of India’s courage, Kuldeep and Jurel, in the same breath in the very first overs. Markram was becoming the hero of a different story while taking catches in the slips.
Sai Sudarshan: A lonely battle and broken fortunes
Sudarshan had made the crease his fortress, surviving a no-ball, and then the catch was dropped: it seemed as if fate was playing tricks on him for a while. But their persistence was of no use when Pant’s wicket fell. The turning point that put the match in South Africa’s pocket. Pant’s ball hit the rough, rose, and settled in Markram’s palms without any drama.
Post-Tea: India collapse
As soon as play resumed, India’s innings started showing faltering steps. Sudarshan out on the first ball, and that too at the hands of Markram. And with this, he equaled the record of taking the most catches in a Test.
Within minutes, that record was broken, as Markram also took a catch off Sundar. India’s batting now resembled a wall of sand—the more they touched it, the more it crumbled.
Harmer added another stroke to the innings, and finally Maharaj took out the last few bricks. Marco Jansen took the final catch, giving the win a clean finish.
Conclusion
For South Africa, it wasn’t just a victory. In fact, it was a statement. This will be recorded among his strongest achievements after the WTC win. And for India, this defeat will be recorded not only in the score but also in the perception that victory is no longer guaranteed even while playing at home.
