South Africa finally cracked the code to cricket’s toughest riddle, flattening India 2 – 0 in their own backyard and ending a 25-year Test-series drought that had long hung over the Proteas like a stubborn monsoon cloud.
Temba Bavuma, captain of a side that batted, bowled and fielded as if fuelled by decades of frustration, called the triumph “one of our most memorable moments”, a victory soaked in history and heart.
𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 😎
Temba Bavuma continues to lead the Proteas to greater heights in Test cricket 📈
More on their #INDvSA series win in #WTC27 📲 https://t.co/xicjTUei8j pic.twitter.com/hDkTH5Jc3m
— ICC (@ICC) November 26, 2025
“Coming here, I would never have thought 2–0 would be the result,” he admitted.
“We know how dark it can be, so getting 2–0 here is an incredible achievement for this group of players.”
A Captain’s Full Circle
In Guwahati, the Proteas delivered a 408-run knockout blow. This was South Africa’s heaviest Test win by runs over India, and wrapped up a sensational series victory to confirm the Proteas credentials as World Test Championship (WTC) title holders.
For Bavuma, it was personal. Twice before he had toured India in 2015/16 and 2019/20, and twice he had been part of sides battered like tailenders facing peak Jasprit Bumrah under storm clouds.
Back then, Bavuma was a makeshift opener scraping for runs on crumbling pitches while South Africa’s confidence disintegrated. Now he is the undefeated captain who has won 11 of his first 12 Tests in charge.
And yet, he insists, it’s not about him alone.
“I’m a lot more assured as a person and a captain,” Bavuma said.
“We have a lot of leaders in this team. Guys I can bounce tactical ideas off, guys who help shape the vision.”
He added that separating his two identities as batter and captain has been crucial.
“Players follow what you do, not what you say.”
Conrad’s Quiet Masterstroke
Winning Combination: Shukri Conrad and Temba Bavuma Pic: Instagram
Coach Shukri Conrad, the architect behind the structure and steel of this touring group, played the long game. His trust in Simon Harmer and Marco Jansen proved inspired.
Harmer’s 17 wickets at 8.94 now stand as the best series figures ever by a visiting spinner in India, while Jansen was a force of nature with five-fors, bouncers, lower-order runs and a gravity-defying, over-the-shoulder catch to seal the series.
The leadership group minus the injured Kagiso Rabada, but anchored by Aiden Markram and Keshav Maharaj functioned like a well-set field: sharp, smart, and suffocating.
India Left Reeling
India, usually unshakeable at home, found themselves nicked, nudged and ultimately bowled out of the contest.
Their WTC campaign now hangs on a thin inside edge after slipping to just 48.15% of available points.
Everything that could go wrong did, from early injuries to dropped catches, while South Africa refused to lift their boot from the crease.
Painting Themselves Into History
For Bavuma, who averaged over 50 as captain during the series and played the match-defining 55 in Kolkata, this triumph lands among his career’s sweetest strokes.
“It’s definitely up there,” he said.
“Coming to India is one of the toughest prospects in cricket. Again, we’ve painted ourselves in history and created some memorable moments.”
Series brilliance from Simon Harmer! 🏅
With 17 wickets in the two-match showdown, Harmer is crowned Player of the Series. 👑
An outstanding contribution that powered #TheProteas Men to historic success. 👏🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/9xVnObA4fC
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) November 26, 2025
South Africa did not just win in India, but they dominated, subverted expectations, and rewrote a generation’s worth of painful scripts.
Conrad and his charges swept away a quarter-century hoodoo like dust off the edge of Harmer’s spinning fingers.
Temba Bavuma is him 🫡 pic.twitter.com/f4DsuqtYwu
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) November 26, 2025
