India slump to record 408-run defeat, South Africa seal first clean sweep since 2000

GUwahati: republic of india crashed to a heaviest-ever 408-run licking to s Africa in the indorse essay here on Wednesday after yet another shambolic batting performance. South Africa won the series 2-0, their first clean sweep in India since 2000.This was also India’s second series loss at home in consecutive years, with five defeats in their last seven home Tests after being unbeaten for 12 years.Like in Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, off-spinner Simon Harmer was again the wrecker-in-chief, taking 6/37 and ending the series with 17 of the 38 Indian wickets to fall. Resuming the day needing an unrealistic 549 to win, all India had to do was bat out the fifth day.The ball was turning but the pitch wasn’t unplayable, and only a few months back they had batted out two sessions in Manchester, meaning an escape wasn’t impossible.But barring Ravindra Jadeja, who made 54, India offered feeble resistance in the face of some very disciplined bowling from South Africa. Overnight batters B Sai Sudharsan and nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav rode a bit of luck and showed some pluck to deny South Africa for a while, but once Harmer started bowling, the batting crumbled easily.Rishabh Pant, captaining this match because Shubman Gill has an injured neck, tried to play a few shots and even hit a six off Keshav Maharaj, but a slow off-break from Harmer finally undid him.Washington Sundar and Jadeja gave hope for a while, adding 35 runs for the seventh wicket before Washington flirted outside his off stump and edged Harmer to Aiden Markram at slip. It was all done within three overs when Mohammad Siraj was dismissed, Marco Jansen taking a sensational one-handed catch over his shoulder while running back.“There were moments in the game where we were up on the team, but we didn’t capitalise it as a team,” Pant said after the match. “But, you know, in the future we’re going to get better, learn from it and get better from it.”India won’t play another Test series for almost eight months, but head coach Gautam Gambhir later said that this defeat can’t be swept under the carpet.“If someone gets a 40-ball 50 or 80-ball 100, the reality is that we still need to keep getting better in red-ball cricket. Because if we are really serious about being the top Test team in the world, I think we cannot put things under the carpet. Because the reality is we still need to improve a lot in red-ball cricket,” Gambhir said.“Whether it’s mentally, whether it’s technically, whether it’s absorbing pressure, whether it’s sacrificing, whether it’s putting the team ahead of your individual self. And most importantly, not playing to the gallery.”Asked if he would step down after this defeat, Gambhir said: “It is up to the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) to decide. I said it in my first press conference when I took over as the head coach... Indian cricket is important, I’m not important.”