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India are staring at a rare home whitewash, a defeat that would make South Africa the first team to rout them twice and leave Gambhir overseeing two of only three such failures.
South Africa are only a few good sessions away from history.
(PC: AP)
India’s batting suffered another major collapse on Monday, leaving them close to a home Test series whitewash against South Africa.
On a surface Kuldeep Yadav had described as a ‘road’, the hosts were bowled out for just 201 in their first innings, undone largely by Marco Jansen’s outstanding 6 for 48. The 6’8’’ pacer, who had already hit 93 on day two, used his height to generate stellar bounce off the surface, and the Indians simply looked lost for answers.
By stumps on Day 3 of the final Test, South Africa reached 26 for 0, stretching their lead to 314 and positioning themselves to set India a target well beyond 450 with ample time for their bowlers.
India’s slide from 95 for 1 to 122 for 7 highlighted poor judgment and shot selection. Yashasvi Jaiswal (58) and KL Rahul (22) were dismissed by rare balls that bounced sharply, but what followed drew criticism.
Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel, and captain Rishabh Pant fell within 13 balls, all to ill-advised strokes. Washington Sundar (48) and Kuldeep Yadav (19 off 134) briefly resisted, adding 62, but the damage was done.
India have only suffered two home whitewashes in their history. The most recent one was against Tom Latham’s New Zealand, with Gary Stead’s superbly prepared side trouncing India 3-0 — the only clean-sweep in a series consisting of more than two Tests.
And the other was against South Africa in 1999-2000, where Hansie Cronje’s men thumped Sachin Tendulkar’s India 2-0 in two Tests at Wankhede Stadium and the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Notably, India once lost a ‘Golden Jubilee’ one-Test tour against England at home in 1979, which won’t qualify as a series, technically.
Hence, if South Africa were to beat India on Tuesday, they would become the first visiting team to whitewash India in two series. Gambhir will also become the first men’s head coach in Indian cricket history to oversee not one but two of the only three humiliating home whitewashes.
In the early years of their Test journey, India wasn’t a dominating side by any extent of imagination, but they knew how to hold their own against everyone from the mighty West Indies to the world-beaters Australia. The current side looks headed towards a new low unless a miracle saves them.
November 24, 2025, 17:17 IST
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