At the start of the day, South Africa were the ones under pressure, ahead by just 63 runs with three wickets remaining. But on a pitch that punished even the slightest error, captain Temba Bavuma, playing his first Test since leading them to a historic WTC triumph at Lord’s, produced a masterclass in grit and game awareness, the only batter to cross fifty. His resistance helped the visitors squeeze out 60 crucial runs, setting India a manageable 124-run target.

What followed was a collapse that stunned the city of Kolkata. India showed none of the composure, clarity or discipline Bavuma had displayed earlier. Against sharp, relentless bowling, the hosts folded for 93 in just 35 overs, opening the door for South Africa’s first Test win on Indian soil in 15 years.

A day that began with the Proteas on the brink ended with Eden Gardens in disbelief, and India confronting a new, uncomfortable vulnerability at home.

India slump to new low

When all eyes were on the South African spinners, it was Marco Jansen’s twin blows to the Indian openers that truly set the tone for the Proteas. Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja briefly steadied India’s chase after Lunch, showing soft hands and admirable calm to drag the innings out of freefall. But just when the partnership was beginning to trouble the visitors, Simon Harmer, who was impressive in the first innings with a four-fer, trapped the senior batter to spark another collapse. Sunder didn’t last long either, falling to part-timer Aiden Markram.

Dhruv Jurel, who was picked ahead of Nitish Reddy after his stunning run in first-class cricket in the last two months, showed enough maturity and even survived a tight DRS call, but succumbed to the drying scoreboard. Rishabh Pant, too, looked far from settled in his 2 off 13.

Axar Patel reignited hopes with his two sixes and a boundary, but with only the tail-end for support, the left-hander was forced into high-risk strokes. Maharaj eventually got him as well, extinguishing India’s last flicker of hope and plunging Eden Gardens back into stunned silence.

For the first time ever at a home Test since the start of this millennium, India were folded for less than 100 runs in the fourth innings. Their previous low was the triple-figure mark against England in Mumbai in 2006. India’s lowest-ever all-out figure in the fourth innings of a Test at home was 83, against England in Chennai in 1977.

India’s fourth defeat in six Tests at home

Until as recently as October last year, winning a Test series in India was still viewed as one of the toughest assignments in cricket. Since 2012, India had not lost a single home series in the traditional format, a run built on staggering dominance: 42 wins in 53 Tests, seven draws, and just four defeats.

This era, largely shaped under Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri, produced not only unmatched home consistency but also back-to-back series wins in Australia. The side was routinely spoken of as one of the finest red-ball teams of the modern game, if not all time.

That 4,331-day streak finally snapped in November 2024, when New Zealand handed India a bruising 3-0 whitewash, a result that forced a hard relook. A brief rebound occurred last month with a 2-0 win over the West Indies, but it proved to be a temporary reprieve. The latest defeat has once again exposed the fading aura at home. India have now lost four of their last six Tests on their own soil.

Temba Bavuma's streak

With South Africa successfully defending the second-lowest target in a Test match in India, Bavuma’s winning record as a captain continued. In 11 Tests as a captain thus far, he led the team to 10 wins, with one ending in a draw. He is now ranked fifth on the list of South Africa’s most successful captains in the format, after Graeme Smith (53), Hansie Cronje (27), Faf du Plessis (18), and Shaun Pollock (14).