India destroyed by Harmer, South Africa in second Test to lose series 2-0 | Cricket News

Simon Harmer’s six wickets helped South Africa win the two-match Test series with India in Guwahati.

Spinner Simon Harmer took six wickets as South Africa won the second Test by 408 runs on Wednesday and secured their first series win in India in 25 years.

World Test champions South Africa put in a disappointing performance while chasing a mammoth target of 549 runs on the fifth day in Guwahati, bowling out India for 140 runs to win the Test 2-0.

This is India’s biggest defeat by runs at home and fifth defeat in seven home Test matches, having been beaten 3-0 by New Zealand last year.

The 36-year-old off-spinner Harmer returned figures of 6-37 as South Africa won a Test series in India for only the second time, the first being under Hansie Cronje in 2000.

Ravindra Jadeja made 54 before being stumped by Keshav Maharaj and the spinner soon got the final wicket of Mohammed Siraj, with Marco Johnson taking a brilliant catch in the deep.

India lost the opening Test in Kolkata by three wickets on an unevenly bouncy pitch, before South Africa once again defeated the hosts in a game of spin on a batting-friendly pitch.

Big task for Indian batsmen

The visitors declared their second innings at 260–5 on the fourth day, setting India the target of a record target, but the hosts’ batting once again failed and they could never threaten to get close.

India ran out of luck early in the day when Jensen had Sai Sudarshan caught behind but the ball was declared a no-ball after the bowler overstepped. The batsman was on four runs.

In the next over, another overnight batsman, Kuldeep Yadav, escaped relief on four runs when Aiden Markram dropped him at first slip off Harmer.

But the respite for India was short-lived as a persistent Harmer soon bowled Kuldeep for five for his first wicket of the day.

The off-spinner then dismissed Dhruv Jurel for two after three balls and soon sent back captain Rishabh Pant for 13, reducing India to 58-5.

South Africa chose to bat first and then scored 489 runs on a pitch on which the batsmen fell for nine wickets.

India were all out for 201 and took a lead of 288 runs in the first innings, but South Africa did not enforce the follow-on and chose to bat again.

Left-arm fast bowler Jansen returned figures of 6-48 in India’s first innings, followed by a quickfire 93 with the bat.

South African all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy led the batting with 109, his first Test century.