Simon Harmer led South Africa's lion-hearted bowling effort as the Proteas registered a thrilling 30-run victory against India inside three days of the low-scoring opening Test.
Images from Day 5 of the second and final Test between India and South Africa, at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, on Wednesday.
While the white-ball trophy cabinet kept getting heavier, Team India's fortunes in Test cricket swung wildly between hope and despair in 2025.
The once familiar sight of nimble-footed, whippywristed Indian batters dominating spin looks a distant memory, replaced by the horror of watching South Africa off-spinner Simon Harmer wreak havoc by taking 17 wickets over the two Tests.
India opener Shafali Verma's match-winning performance with the bat in the Women's World Cup final against South Africa last month has earned her the ICC 'Player of the Month' award for November.
At stumps, Sai Sudharsan and Kuldeep Yadav were at the crease with India requiring another 522 runs to win and level the two-Test series.
The South Africa bowling coach is also hopeful of off-spinner Simon Harmer, one of the heroes of the the visitors' memorable win in the first Test at Eden Gardens, playing in the final game of the short series while also ruling out any issue with his fitness.
Keshav Maharaj couldn't hide his pride after South Africa stunned India in Kolkata, reserving his highest praise for Simon Harmer's heroics and describing their partnership as nothing short of a 'privilege.'
Never thought I would be back in India in million years, this feels surreal: Harmer
Ferran Torres struck twice as Barcelona marked their long-awaited return to their Camp Nou Stadium with an emphatic 4-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.
Captain Rishabh Pant conceded that India needed to get better as a Test team.
Marco Jansen demolished the Indian batting line-up with a six-wicket haul before South Africa extended their lead on Day 3 of the second and final Test.
Gautam Gambhir, India's head coach, may have expressed support for the Kolkata pitch, but it continues to draw criticism from all quarters.
In India's first innings, only Yashasvi Jaiswal (58 off 97 balls) and Washington Sundar (48 off 92 balls) could contribute substantially as the home team suffered a batting collapse after starting the day at 9 for no loss.
Shafali Verma, whose blazing 87 and two key wickets powered the country to its maiden ICC Women's World Cup title, was named in the ICC Player of the Month shortlist for November.
In India, cricket games are part of our geographical landscape like the Ganga or the Himalayas or the Western Ghats or Kanyakumari. Millions of games unfold across India at any time of day. Travel in any direction and you are bound to see a cricket game in progress -- be it urban gully cricket to games on dusty village grounds to roaring stadiums to famous greens that cradled cricket like Shivaji Park or Azad Maidan.
Several film folk paid their last respects to Sanjay Khan's wife Zarine Khan, as she passed into the ages on November 7. The funeral was held at the Juhu crematorium in northwest Mumbai.
Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing first Test against South Africa after he continues to be under observation in a Kolkata hospital for a neck injury.
Throughout the Test series, Indian batters struggled against a strong South African bowling attack. Indian batters averaged just 15.23 across the two-match Test series against South Africa.
Liverpool shrugged off the absence of Mohamed Salah as midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai scored an 88th-minute penalty to give them a 1-0 Champions League win at Inter Milan.
For the first time in many years, India are going into a home Test match as underdogs and not favourites. Ask any player worth his salt and he would tell that it is not a happy place to be.
Application required in Test cricket was missing, says Kumble after India's batting collapse
Jadeja returned to haunt South Africa with the ball after the Proteas came out to bat for the second time in the match.
Simon Harmer picked up four wickets as South Africa staged an incredible fightback to shock India by 30 runs in a low-scoring first Test match.
'I met her when I was 18, she was 14,' Sanjay Khan said emotionally at the prayer service for his late wife Zarine Khan.
Jadeja reduces South Africa to 93/7 in second innings, India smell big win
Graeme Smith emphasised the importance of getting off to a strong start in the upcoming Test series against India
According to reports, she succumbed to cardiac arrest, and was at her home when the end came.
Not handing the ball to lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah to start the third day's play on a challenging Eden Gardens surface was "questionable", said the legendary Anil Kumble.
'Zarine spent her last autumn this year with my sister in Kashmir.' 'There, almost as a gentle premonition, Zarine said to my sister, "When I go, let my ashes be scattered across this valley".'
South Africa completed a memorable 2-0 series sweep against India after off-spinner Simon Harmer claimed 6/37 to bowl the Proteas to a comprehensive 408-run victory in the second Test,
Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and K L Rahul perished early as India fumbled in the chase of a mammoth 549-run target on Day 4 of the second Test.
South Africa's head coach Shukri Conrad is backing his spin troika of Keshav Maharaj, Senuran Muthusamy and Simon Harmer to match their seasoned counterparts from India and "make history of our own" in the upcoming Test series
South Africa's Aiden Markram created a new world record for the most catches by a fielder in a Test match, during the second Test against India in Guwahati on Wednesday.
India's awe-inspiring batting depth will face a stern test against South Africa's quality spin attack in the first Test, starting in Kolkata on Friday.
Jannik Sinner's tennis may be making headlines, but his off-court life is drawing just as much curiosity especially after his ATP Finals win, where a smiling Laila Hasanovic was the first person he hugged.
Spin great Harbhajan Singh said India don't have a specialist off-spinner for Test cricket.
The Proteas have included three frontline spinners in the squad with Keshav Maharaj leading the attack, while also consisting of Simon Harmer and Senuran Muthusamy, who was the player of the series against Pakistan.
Shubman Gill retired hurt after suffering a neck sprain while attempting a slog-sweep off Simon Harmer on the second day of the first Test against South Africa, in Kolkata, on Saturday.
Vice-captain Rishabh Pant said India's batters should have adapted to the challenge of playing on a tricky pitch at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
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