This defeat hurts!

South Africa won the toss, batted first and piled on a mammoth total. They kept the pressure relentless and never let India settle. With every partnership, every session, they tightened their grip on the match.

Despite a tough fight, Team India ended on the wrong side of the result, slipping to another difficult defeat.

Here’s how the test went 👇

Day 1 | A perfectly balanced start

Once again, South Africa won the toss and opted to bat. Their openers put on a strong 82-run stand before Bumrah rattled Markram at the stroke of Tea. Kuldeep followed right after the break, dismissing Rickelton.

Bavuma and Stubbs then steadied the innings, making full use of the favourable conditions to keep the hosts in control. The spin duo of Jaddu and Kuldeep pulled things back with quick wickets and helped India balance out the day.

📝 Stumps, Day 1: South Africa - 247/6 (81.5 overs)

Day 2 | Batters cash in on favourable conditions

The overnight pair of Muthusamy and Verreynne resumed & added 87 runs. Once Verreynne departed, Muthusamy joined forces with Jansen, stitching together a 97-run partnership that powered the hosts to a 489, placing India under pressure for a tricky 30-minute period before stumps.

But Jaiswal and KL stood tall under the lights, negotiating every question asked of them and ensuring India closed Day 2 with all wickets intact.

📝 Stumps, Day 2: India - 9/0 (6.1 overs), trail by 480 runs

Day 3 | Oh No! A Collapse!!

India began Day 3 with intent, chasing a trail of 480, as Yashasvi Jaiswal struck his first fifty vs SA in Jaisu™ style. A solid start turned sour, slipping from a 65-run opening stand to 122/7.

Washi and Kuldeep resisted with a 72-run stand, batting for 208 balls. But Jansen’s 6-for wrapped India up for 201. South Africa’s openers then safely negotiated the final eight overs, ending the day wicketless.

📝 Stumps, Day 3: South Africa - 26/0 (8 overs), lead by 314 runs

Day 4 | Proteas tighten their grip on the game

India began the day needing a miracle. A solid 50-run Proteas start was halted by the pair of Jadeja & Washi, who pulled it back to 107/3 at Tea. But a 100-run stand between de Zorzi and Stubbs pushed the game away as SA declared at 260/5, setting a 549-run target.

Chasing a stiff total, India lost both their openers before bad light forced stumps with Kuldeep and Sudharsan at the crease.

📝 Stumps, Day 4: India - 27/2 (15.5 overs), need 522 runs to win.

Day 5 | A tough loss in Guwahati...

No words left. With 8 wickets in hand, 522 needed for victory, and a full day to survive on a surface offering turn and bounce, the odds were stacked steeply against India. The batters showed heart in their final stand to keep the game alive, and Ravindra Jadeja stood out with a well-crafted half-century.

But the Protean spin trio, spearheaded by Harmer’s 6/37, finished the job, sealing a well-deserved series win for South Africa.

This is a tough loss for the Men in Blue & their fans! But they’ll bounce back 👊

Brief scores: India 201/10 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 58, Marco Jansen 6/48) & 140/10 (Ravindra Jadeja 54, Simon Harmer 6/37) lost to South Africa 489/10 (Senuran Muthusamy 109, Kuldeep Yadav 4/115) and 260/5d (Tristan Stubbs 94, Ravindra Jadeja 4/62) by 408 runs.