IND VS SA 2ND TEST

On the other hand, India have ample time to go back to the drawing board and assess the next steps forward to improve in their own backyard. They are under a transition phase and their next home series will not be until early 2027, when they host Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. That can be a blessing in disguise as well. The coaching staff and leadership group have some serious soul-searching to do. The talent is undeniable. The results at home have been anything but. Well then, that wraps up a thoroughly absorbing Test series. South Africa take it hands down 2-0, and now both teams will shift their focus for the white-ball format as Ranchi is all set to host the first of the three ODIs on Sunday, 30th November. KL Rahul has the captain's armband for that series, in absence of Gill and will see the return of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for India. For South Africa, Temba Bavuma will continue to lead a fired up Proteas side. The first ball of the first ODI is scheduled to be bowled at 1.30 pm IST (8 am GMT). But do make sure to mark your presence a bit earlier for all the pre-match buzz and buildup. Until then, we take your leave, only to meet again. Stay safe, cheers!

Well then, another box ticked for South Africa. Another win the subcontinent. It is that man, Temba Bavuma, under whose leadership they have achieved these wins, which is no small feat. He now collects the Freedom Trophy and walks towards his teammates who wait for their captain behind the champions' board for the commemorative photographs. Truly, a moment to savour for the Rainbow Nation. They have a long break from red-ball cricket now as they will directly host a 3-match Test series against Australia, at home, in September next year.

And now, the victorious South African captain, Temba Bavuma, is the one for a chat. He says that it is a massive win for them. Adds that after being out of the game for a while due to injury, you want to be part of things like this. Mentions that it is not every day that you can come to India and win 2-0, but the fact they have players who have been on the other side of the result and seen the dark days helps them a lot as well. Says that everyone in the team wants to contribute, even from the bench, the likes of Muthusamy and others have done well for them. Tells that communication is key to their success, and they may not have players who can score 100-150, but they have 3 or 4 players who can score those 60s and that shows how everyone wants to chip in. Further adds that Simon Harmer complements Maharaj very well. Mentions that Maharaj has been their guy in recent times, but it was Harmer who was excellent in this series and in the absence of KG, Jansen and Mulder also stepped up big time. Ends by saying that he can keep on going about his team but they are in a good space at the moment.

Simon Harmer is the PLAYER OF THE SERIES for picking up 17 wickets across two Tests. He starts by saying that it has been a long journey on the road. Highlights that he came back to India after 10 years and will leave the place with fond memories compared to the last time. Shares that he closely watched the way the ball was behaving after 40 overs when India came to bat in the second innings. Details that when the ball got a bit softer, it got a bit easier to bat. But also points out that there was an odd-ball on which Pant got out which bounced and turned. Says that they knew India would bat for their lives in the second innings but also tells that it was all about bowling in the right areas. Appreciates Markram and Jansen for taking sharp catches in the field. On the switch of ends, he shares that when he was bowling from that end, it felt like a left-hander's wicket. Also tells that the best way to operate was to bowl stump-to-stump. Then adds that it started to spin with the older ball and credits Temba Bavuma for that tactic. Calls Keshav Maharaj an incredible bowler and that he deserves to be called as the number 1 spinner. Says that he is happy to play the supporting role to Keshav. Ends by saying that it is all about evolving with time. Shares that he will head to another County Season for Essex and will play a few games for Titans back home as they don't play any Tests until next September.

Marco Jansen is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his sensational effort with both bat and ball. He says that if you win any Test match, it is a nice feeling, but when you win one in India and the series as well, it is special. Adds that everyone put their hands up in different situations. Mentions that they had a chat and made plans and adjusted according to the conditions if needed. Credits Shukri Conrad, the coach and says that he told him to play freely. Says that he was a bit tense in the first match but tried to express himself in this one and it worked. Further adds that everyone is working really hard and they are getting the results. Ends by saying that they play for each other and give their best.

The Indian captain, Rishabh Pant, is up for a chat now. He reflects on the defeat by calling this series loss very disappointing. Admits that they need to get much better as a team and credits the opposition for outnumbering them. Says that they need to take the learning from it and can't take cricket for granted. Adds that they were ahead in the game in patches but didn't capitalise on them. Stresses that whether you are playing at home or away, cricket demands determination and an extra bit of effort. Says that as a batting unit, they need to capitalise on certain moments and admits that they didn't do that in this series.

South Africa's Aiden Markram is up for a chat. He says that it is a great feeling and it was a great team effort. Adds that it is never easy to come to India and play in tough conditions that are foreign to them. Mentions that as a group, you have to believe that you can go up against the best in their backyard and with a few moments of luck, you can put in performances like this and he is very proud of the team. Says that as a team they have adjusted well to sub-continent conditions, winning in Pakistan first and now here. Further adds that a lot of chat was about spin, but India have two great seamers and it was tough, but Rickelton did well in the first hour alongside him. Tells that it shows the character in this team. Says that he didn't know about the record (most catches in a Test) and credits the bowlers for hitting the right areas. End by saying that the batters after the opening pair showed how to score big on this wicket and made them proud.

... THE PRESENTATION ...

Apart from Simon Harmer, who completely dismantled Indian batting unit like his usual hobby, there were others who contributed impressively as well. Senuran Muthusamy, batting at number 7, outscored every South African batter and notched up the only century we saw in this Test series. Tristan Stubbs was just a hit away from being the second one, but he couldn't do so, but he thoroughly entertained with his gritty 94 against a deflated Indian bowling unit. And last, but not the least. The towering figure of Marco Jansen. How good was he in the absence of their premier bowler, Kagiso Rabada? Scored a breezy 93 with the bat, broke the back of the Indian batting unit with a sensational 6-fer and capped it off by taking a stunning catch of Siraj in the end.

The blueprint for batting on challenging surfaces is not rocket science. Occupy the crease for as long as you can, wait for the bad ball, and construct your innings brick by brick, and more importantly, with patience. Sure, easier said than done. But South Africa followed this to the letter. They ran a marathon with the bat, playing over 150 overs in the first innings, and then even with some deterioration, worked hard for 78.3 overs in the second innings. That is, over 220 overs of batting. India kept trying to break down walls with their heads. There is bravery and then there is recklessness masquerading as intent. To compare both sides with the bat, barring one batter, each and every South African that took the crease, crossed the double digits in the first innings. And this was missing from the Indian middle order totally, barring the resistance of 208 balls shown by Sundar and Kuldeep. If your number 9 batter plays the most number of balls, 134 to be exact, by Kuldeep, then sure, questions will be raised on the approach on a surface which was not THAT difficult to bat on.

This is not the first time India have crumbled at home. Earlier in this very series at Eden Gardens, they folded from 33/2 to 93 all out in the second innings. Not long ago, in 2024, Bengaluru witnessed an even worse collapse against New Zealand when they slipped from 31/3 to 46 all out, their second-lowest Test score ever. The pattern of home collapses is becoming worryingly familiar and is getting tagged with this Indian team now. And underscoring it all is their growing vulnerability against spin bowling on these supposed rank-turners. It was Simon Harmer who bossed up with his spin massively this time and finished with 17 wickets across two matches. He never let the Indian batters breathe freely and kept trapping them with his cunning variations and all the experience from first-class cricket.

Poor shot selection has been the recurring theme right from the first innings, and it plagued them in the second innings as well. Apart from Jaiswal and Rahul, who fell to proper deliveries that deserved wickets in the first batting stint, everything else was a self-inflicted wound. Over 34.3, Sai Sudharsan threw it away to an absolute gimme ball. An over later, Dhruv Jurel gifts his wicket with a rash hack. Then came the real gut punch in over 37.2 when Rishabh Pant tried launching one over the lanky Jansen and only managed a thick edge through to the keeper. Boom. The collapse was complete. From a comfortable 95/1 to a disastrous 122/7. As they say, Rome was not destroyed in a day, but it burned in one night. India managed the batting equivalent in just six overs.

Second whitewash for India in around a year's time. It was New Zealand last year who had India completely on the mat with a 3-0 win. A lot of questions will be asked rightfully for such a lackadaisical display. But HOW and WHY have India landed themselves in such a mess? At home of all places? Is it technical frailties with the bat or has South Africa just been clinical with their plans? Truth is, it is a combination of both. Just look at how the Indian innings unraveled after Jaiswal departed in that first innings, and the story tells itself.

Well, that absolute stunner from Jansen perfectly encapsulates South Africa's dominance right throughout this Test series. A special, special moment in the history of South African cricket as they have executed a whitewash against India at their own backyard by 2-0. This is their first Test series win on Indian soil in 25 years. A complete team effort by the Proteas and what a run this has been for them on the road. They leveled it up 1-1 against Pakistan after losing the first match, won the World Test Championship Final in England earlier this year, also conquered Dhaka and Chattogram last year. And have completely decimated the Indians in front of their home crowd. The South African captain, Temba Bavuma, sprints towards the dugout and gets a warm hug from the head coach, Shukri Conrad, as he keeps his unbeaten run as a captain intact in Test cricket. With this, South Africa have handed India their biggest Test defeat by runs in history.

OUT! TAKEN! My word, that is an unbelievable catch from Marco Jansen, and if that does not sum up this series for South Africa, then nothing else can. Keshav Maharaj loops it up, full and on middle, Mohammed Siraj gets his front leg out of the way, and lofts it nicely over the bowler's head. It goes miles in the air, but Jansen from mid on runs backwards and keeps his eyes on the ball. He stretches out his left hand and grabs a stunner tumbling onto the ground. Siraj cannot believe it, nor can Temba Bavuma. All the Proteas players run towards Jansen, and the celebration begins for them. SOUTH AFRICA WIN BY 408 RUNS AND TAKE THE SERIES 2-0.

OUT! TAKEN! My word, that is an unbelievable catch from Marco Jansen, and if that does not sum up this series for South Africa, then nothing else can. Keshav Maharaj loops it up, full and on middle, Mohammed Siraj gets his front leg out of the way, and lofts it nicely over the bowler's head. It goes miles in the air, but Jansen from mid on runs backwards and keeps his eyes on the ball. He stretches out his left hand and grabs a stunner tumbling onto the ground. Siraj cannot believe it, nor can Temba Bavuma. All the Proteas players run towards Jansen, and the celebration begins for them. SOUTH AFRICA WIN BY 408 RUNS AND TAKE THE SERIES 2-0.

Floated, full and on middle, Mohammed Siraj defends it onto the pitch.

Fires one full, on middle, angling in, Mohammed Siraj blocks it out.