#INDvSA-2ndTEST-2025 : Senuran Muthusamy’s Gritty Ton, Marco Jansen’s All-Round Skills, And Spinner Simon Harmer Help South Africa Rout India By Massive 408 Runs, Clinch Series 2-0

Picture : ICC/X

Down 0-1  after its shocking loss at Eden Gardens , Kolkata in the first  Test , India needed to win the second Test at Baraspara, Guwahati against South Africa to square the series . But the  Kolkata shock moved on to the  North East too as India  sunk to a new low  as they lost by  a  mammoth 408 runs.

Thus handing over the series to South Africa 2-0. The last time the Proteas won the a Test series in in India was in 2000 under the late  Hansie Cronje.

Earlier, Temba Bavuma, The South Africa Skipper won the toss and opted to bat first.  And by rasing a huge first innings total of 489  they put pressure on India straight away. They came with a plan and executed it with perfection. All their batsman got runs – Aiden Markram ( 38) , Ryan Rickelton ( 35) , Tristan Stubbs ( 49) , Skipper Temba Bavuma ( 41) , Tony de Zorzi ( 28) , Wiaan Mulder( 13).  Senuran Muthusamy was impressive and showed lot of grit and detrmination to score a fine ton of 109. Kyle Verreynne ( 45). Marco Jansen rubbed more slats into India’s bowling wounds as he blasted a stunning lower innings cameo of 93 and missed out a well deserved ton. Simon Harmer ( 5) while Keshav Maharaj was not out 12.

Indian bowlers had a toughstint in the middle and were sent on a leather hunt. Jasprit Bumrah 2/75, Mohammed Siraj 2/106, Nitish Kumar Reddy 0/25, Washington Sundar 0/58, Kuldeep Yadav 4/115, Ravindra Jadeja 2/94

In reply, India’s batting  barring opener Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 58  fell like pack of cards and were bowled out for a dismal 201/10 . The scores told the sorry tale – KL Rahul ( 22), Sai Sudharsan ( 15), Dhruv Jurel ( 0), stand-in Skipper Rishabh Pant ( 7) no match position sense while batting. Ravindra Jadeja ( 6), Nitish Kumar Reddy ( 10), Washington Sundar lifted the lower order with ( 48), Kuldeep yadav ( 19) , Jasprit Bumrah ( 5), Mohammed Siraj not out 2 .

South African bowlers were on top with regular wickets. Marco Jansen who balsted 93 with the bat shone with the ball as he ripped aprt the India batting with fantastic figures of 6/48, Impressive spinner Simon Harmer 3/64, Keshav Maharaj 1/39 . Wiaan Mulder 0/14, Aiden Markram 0/26, Senuran Muthusamy 0/2

With lead in hand South Africa batted India out of the match as they set India daunting taget of 549 runs . Inthe second innings too the Proteas were cautious as well as aggressive as they posted 260/5 declared. Ryan Rickelton ( 35) , Aiden Markram ( 29), Tristan Stubbs ( 94) , Skipper Temba Bavuma ( 3) , Tony de Zorzi ( 49), Wiaan Mulder not out 35

India bowling : Ravindra Jadeja impressed with 4/62. The rest struggled . Jasprit Bumrah 0/22, Mohammed Siraj 0/19, Kuldeep Yadav 0/48, Washington Sundar 1/67, Nitish Kumar Reddy 0/24, Yashasvi Jaiswal 0/9.

Chasing 549 was never going to be easy and India soon found out that playing too many all- rounders in Tests  does not work at all . It was massive playing eleven selection blunder. That will haunt for long . India were pathetic in the second innings.  Bowled out for 140 runs told the sorry state of the Indian abtting and some baizzre shot slections. Yashasvi Jaiswal ( 13) , K L Rahul ( 6), Sai Sudharsan could score only ( 14)  after a long stay in the middle . Kuldeep Yadav ( 5), Stand-in skipper Rishabh Pant showed no  match sense ( 13), Ravindra Jadeja battled hard for his 54( at a press meet he said team would be happy with a draw and consider it as a win) , Washington Sundar ( 16), Nitish Kumar Reddy ( 0), Jasprit Bumrah  not out 1 , Mohammed Siraj ( 0)

South Africa were clinical in their bowling : Marco Jansen 1/23, Spinner Simon Harmer ran through the India batting with a superb spell 6/37, Keshav Maharaj 2/37, Senuran Muthusamy 1/21,Wiaan Mulder 0/6

What would hurt India with the series loss  is that they lost on home spin-friendly conditions. Last year they lost 3-0 to New Zealand . So five Tests matches lost at home under Gautam Gambhir as Head coach.  This 2-0 loss to South Africa dents India’s points in the  WTC  as they  now slip  below Pakistan. There cannot be anything more humiliating than this  viewers.

Match: 2nd Test
Venue: Guwahati | Date: Nov 22-26, 2025