Off-spinner Simon Harmer bowled South Africa to their first Test win in India for 15 years after India collapsed chasing 124 on day three at Eden Gardens, with home captain Shubman Gill hospitalised by neck spasms and unable to bat. Harmer, who took 4-30 in the first innings, finished with 4-21 as India were dismissed for 93, losing by 30 runs.
Axar Patel’s brief, boundary-laden cameo (26 off 17) looked like it might spark a recovery — he hit two sixes and a four off Keshav Maharaj in the 35th over — but holed out attempting another big shot and Maharaj then had Mohammed Siraj the next ball to seal the win. South Africa had earlier been set 124 to win after posting 153 in their second innings, guided late by captain Temba Bavuma’s unbeaten 55 — the only fifty of the match — and Corbin Bosch’s 25. South Africa had been bowled out for 159 in their first innings; India replied with 189.
India slipped to 1-2 and then 38-4 in the chase after Marco Jansen removed openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (0) and KL Rahul (1), and Harmer claimed Rishabh Pant (2) and Dhruv Jurel (13). Harmer then trapped Ravindra Jadeja lbw, caught Washington Sundar at slip and had Kuldeep Yadav lbw to finish a match-winning spell. Jansen finished with 2-15 and Maharaj with 2-37 as the Proteas’ bowling attack ripped through the home side.
The victory, captain Bavuma’s 10th in 11 Tests, ended a long wait for a win on Indian soil — South Africa had lost seven and drawn one of their previous eight Tests in India since their only other win in 2010. With one Test to play in the two-match series, South Africa need one more win to secure only their second Test series victory in India and their first since 2000. The second Test starts in Guwahati from November 22-26, followed by three ODIs and five T20s.