NEW DELHI: After reaching successive World Test Championship finals, India found themselves in unfamiliar territory once again, suffering another home Test series loss. South Africa handed them a massive 408-run defeat to complete a clean sweep of the two-match series, marking their first Test series victory in India in 25 years.

India finished as runners-up in the first two WTC cycles, losing to New Zealand in 2021 and Australia in 2023, while they failed to reach a third consecutive final in the recently concluded cycle, which saw South Africa claim the title with a victory over Australia in the final.

With their biggest defeat in terms of runs in Test cricket, India's position in the WTC standings has slipped, falling behind Pakistan to fifth place. They now have a win percentage of 48.15, with four wins and four losses from nine matches so far in the cycle.

Pakistan have played just two Tests in the current cycle, splitting their recent two-match series against South Africa with a 1–1 draw. With only a single defeat so far, their strong record has allowed them to move ahead of India in the WTC standings.

Australia lead the chart with four wins from four matches, followed by South Africa with three wins in four matches.

Harmer stars with career-best figures

Chasing an improbable 549-run target, Ravindra Jadeja waged a lone battle, scoring an 87-ball 54. Simon Harmer, who recorded career-best figures of 6/37, ended with a match haul of nine wickets.

The tourists outplayed India in all three departments, with Aiden Markram (9) setting the record for most catches in a Test match, overtaking Ajinkya Rahane's eight claimed in 2015.

Sai Sudharsan's excruciating 139-ball stay came to an end as Senuran Muthusamy had him caught by Markram soon after the second session began as India failed to reach even 150.