India slip to fifth in WTC standings after series loss against South Africa
New Delhi, Nov 26
India suffered a big plunge in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 standings following a 2-0 series loss against South Africa at home after losing the second Test by 408-run here at Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
South Africa wrapped up a memorable Test tour of India with a commanding victory in the second Test, sealing a 2–0 sweep and securing only their second-ever Test series triumph on Indian soil, the first since the landmark win in 2000.
The margin of defeat was sobering for the hosts. India’s 408-run loss stands as the heaviest in their Test history, a result that also dents their early campaign in the WTC 2025–27 cycle.
The WTC standings also take a sharp turn as the emphatic win tightens South Africa’s grip near the top of the points table. With 36 points from four matches, the reigning champions climbed to a 75 points percentage, strengthening their hold on second place behind Australia.
India, in contrast, slipped to fifth position, overtaken by Pakistan, and their PCT dropped to 48.15.
The series decider in Guwahati began uncertainly for South Africa, but Senuran Muthusamy’s gritty century (109) and Marco Jansen’s near-ton (93) transformed their first innings into an imposing 489. Jansen then carried his momentum into the bowling attack, ripping through India for figures of 6/48 as the hosts mustered only 201.
Choosing rest over enforcement of the follow-on, South Africa batted again and pushed the lead beyond reach, and Tristan Stubbs’ composed 94 headlined their 260/5 before the declaration.
Off-spinner Simon Harmer, already the star of the previous Test in Kolkata, delivered another masterclass. After taking 3/64 earlier in the match, he dismantled India on the final day to complete with a 6/37.
Although Sai Sudarshan and Ravindra Jadeja attempted to prop up India’s resistance, the visitors’ bowlers kept striking at regular intervals. Jadeja top-scored for India with a determined 54 off 87, but the collapse in the second session sealed India’s fate.
Aiden Markram added further gloss to South Africa’s performance with two outstanding catches, underscoring a disciplined fielding effort from the touring side.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Harmer and Jansen completely outplayed us. Our spinners couldn't match their performance on our own pitches. Time to give some young bowlers a chance in the test squad.
As a cricket fan living in India, this hurts. But let's not overreact - it's early in the WTC cycle. The team has bounced back from worse situations before. Have faith! 🇮🇳
The problem isn't just this loss - it's our inability to handle quality pace and spin consistently. South Africa showed how to adapt to Indian conditions better than we did. Wake up call for team management.
Jadeja tried his best but got no support. When will we learn that test cricket requires patience and technique, not just aggressive batting? The IPL effect is showing in our test performances.
Fifth position and below Pakistan? That's hard to digest yaar. But credit to South Africa - they played like champions. Muthusamy's century was the turning point of the match.
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