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India National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team Match Scorecard: South Africa orchestrated an unthinkable victory as the Temba Bavuma-led side pulled off a first Test series win in India after 25 years. The Proteas drubbed the hosts in the second and last match of the series by 408-run at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Wednesday, completing a 2-0 series whitewash.

This marked India's second home defeat in little over 12 months. 

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The loss marks another embarrassing chapter in India's Test history, as it was their biggest loss in terms of runs. It was South Africa's first series win in India in 25 years.

Chasing an unimaginable 549-run target, Ravindra Jadeja waged a lone war, smashing a crucial 87-ball 54. For South Africa, Simon Harmer, who recorded career-best figures of 6/37, ended with a match haul of nine wickets.

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Notably, under head coach Gautam Gambhir, India have now faced defeat in five Tests against New Zealand and South Africa at home. It is also the first time in 66 years that the team has lost 5 Tests in a space of seven months.

A chase of 549 was never possible and to the demoralised Indian players, it seemed as if the ball bounced like a hissing snake and turned as if on a hairpin Himalayan bend.

Off-spinner Simon Harmer's career got a second breeze as he demolished the Indian team with turn, bounce and zip off the same surface on which home bowlers looked strange.

Once skipper Rishabh Pant (13) was sent back to the pavilion, failing to counter the bounce, the writing was on the wall. The middle order, including Sai Sudharsan, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel and Nitish Reddy, which is India's new unit in Test cricket, simply didn't have enough experience and preparation to read a spinner from his hands.

Sudharsan scored 14 in 139 balls but was about to be dismissed about six times and looked like getting out to every delivery.

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Only Jadeja (53) walked the talk when it came to putting up a good battle but there was no one at the other end to help the seasoned player.

In the end, the second defeat in 12 months indicated that India looked easily conquerable at home.

(With PTI Inputs)

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