India suffered a crushing 408-run defeat to South Africa in the second and final Test on day five in Guwahati on Wednesday, surrendering the series 0–2 in emphatic fashion. Chasing a mammoth target of 549, India were bundled out for 140 runs as their batting lineup failed to perform against South Africa's strangling bowling attack.
Resuming the day at 27 for 2, India needed a monumental effort to survive, but their lacklustre batting turned the match South Africa's way. India's innings unravelled dramatically, with off-spinner Simon Harmer spearheading the demolition. Harmer, exploiting the final-day conditions, engineered a stunning collapse that left India without answers. He returned with six wickets, leaving no chance for India to push the game to a draw.
India, who lost openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal cheaply on day four, had to mount a fightback on day five. But things took a different turn when India started losing their wickets in clusters from the very first session. Veteran player Ravindra Jadeja waged a lone battle, raising 54 off 87, but his effort had no impact on the outcome of the match.
On the other hand, the visitors tightened their grip on the match, keeping India under the pump. Harmer’s spell was incredibly decisive, breaking India’s back. He was backed up by Keshav Maharaj, who took two wickets. This marks South Africa's first Test series win in India since 2000-01.