 "India vs South Africa: From embarrassing Indian lows to Harmer’s historic highs, records that were broken in Guwahati")
India were handed their worst ever Test defeat as South Africa won the second Test match in Guwahati and completed a 2-0 clean sweep of the hosts on Wednesday. Chasing a mammoth 549, India were bundled out for an embarrassing 140 on the final day with no batter even going beyond 20 apart from Ravindra Jadeja.
After a 3-0 loss to New Zealand last year, this is the second white-washing India have received at home after being undefeated in a series since 2012. Head coach Gautam Gambhir has been under fire for poor results as India continue to touch lows never seen before in their Test history.
Here are some of the major records that were broken in the Guwahati Test.
India slump to historic lows
408: India’s losing margin of 408 is now their worst in Test cricket, surpassing the 342-run defeat at the hands of Australia in 2004. For South Africa too, this is their second biggest victory margin only behind the 492-run win over Australia at home in 2018.
4: This is the first time in four decades that India have lost Test series at home in consecutive years. Earlier, they had lost West Indies in 1983 and then to England in 1984-85.
3: This series was just the third instance of any Indian batter not scoring a century in a home series. The previous two such outcomes came against New Zealand in 1969/70 and 1995/96.
15.23: It is now the lowest batting average for India in a Test series at home. Overall, it is the second lowest after 12.42 against New Zealand in 2002-03.
Quick Reads
View All1: First time India have not been able to cross even 250 runs in an innings in a Test series of at least two matches at home. India’s highest score in this series was 201. Also, it was the first time since 1969 that no Indian batter could hit a century across two consecutive Tests on home soil.
Records for South Africa
9: Aiden Markram now holds the record for most catches in a Test as he surpassed India’s Ajinkya Rahane who had taken eight catches against Sri Lanka in 2015.
25: Temba Bavuma is the first South African captain to win a Test series in India in 25 years. He now has 11 wins and a draw in his 12 Tests as South Africa skipper.
27: With his sixth wicket on the final day, Simon Harmer surpassed Dale Steyn to become the most successful South African bowler in India with 27 scalps.
8.94: Harmer’s average on this tour is now the best for a visiting spinner in India who took more than 15 wickets in a series consisting of at least two games. This is also now the second best average for a bowler in a series with 15 or more wickets since the second World War.
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