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DAY 5: Proteas stun India with record-breaking rout

cricket26 November 2025 11:36| © AFP
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Simon Harmer claimed six wickets to lead South Africa to an overwhelming 408-run victory against India on the fifth and final day of the second test with the home side slumping to 140 all out in pursuit of an impossible target of 549.

The victory gave South Africa a 2-0 series victory, just the second time they have won in India after their first victory in 2000 in which they also won 2-0 in another two match series.

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Harmer claimed 6-37 from 23 overs giving him a remarkable tally of 17 in the first two tests following his match haul of 8-51 in the stunning 30-run victory in the first test at Eden Gardens last week. He was helped in no small part by Aiden Markram who held a world record nine catches in the slip cordon, a world record for a non wicketkeeper.

Resuming on 27-2 the home side were soon plunged into deeper trouble with offspinner Harmer taking two wickets in the eighth over of the day removing nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav and Dhruv Jurel.

Yadav (5) missed a quicker, straight ball which crashed into middle stump while Jurel (2) received a ball which spun lavishly to find the outside edge and provide Markram with his sixth catch.

Rishabh Pant (13) briefly counter-attacked hitting Keshav Maharaj for a straight six but the defiance was short-lived with Harmer producing his best delivery which turned and bounced alarmingly to find another edge and another catch for Markram moving from slip towards gully.

The Proteas spurned two chances when Markram (finally) dropped a catch at slip off – Kuldeep the lucky recipient – while Marco Jansen had Sai Sudharsan caught by ‘keeper Kyle Verreynne on four but off a no-ball.

 

 

 

Sai Sudharsan’s somnambulant innings of 14 spanned 139 deliveries but ended with the first ball of the afternoon session when left arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy bowled him a harmless half volley which he obligingly edged to Markram at slip.

The Harmer-Markram combination struck once more to remove India’s last hope of an escape, Washington Sundar (16) edging to slip before Nitish Reddy (0) gloved a reverse sweep to Verreynne.

Ravindra Jadeja fought a lone battle to reach a robust 54 with two defiant sixes but missed a swing against Maharaj to provide Verreynne with a sharp stumping and the match ended with a breath-taking, one handed catch by Marco Jansen at long leg after Mohammad Siraj had one, final swing at Maharaj who finished with 2-37.

 

Jansen was named player-of-the-match for his 6-48 and innings of 93 from just 91 balls but Harmer was rightly the player-of-the-series for match hauls of 8-51 and 9-101.

South Africa’s 408-run victory was their second highest by runs behind the 492-run victory they managed against Australia at the Wanderers at the end of the Sandpaper series in 2018.

INDIA: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant (captain/wkt), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj

SOUTH AFRICA: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (captain), Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Marco Jansen, Senuran Muthusamy, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj.

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