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.
Two-time finalists India are placed fifth and face a challenging path to secure a top-two finish.
Graeme Smith emphasised the importance of getting off to a strong start in the upcoming Test series against India
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.
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.
Temba Bavuma, who led South Africa to their maiden ICC World Test Championship title and a historic 2-0 series sweep in India, also made the cut, while four Australian players were included.
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.
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.
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,
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.
India's Sanju Samson has been named the ICC Men's Player of the Month for March following his outstanding performance in the T20 World Cup.
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.
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.
Application required in Test cricket was missing, says Kumble after India's batting collapse
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.
Wayne Parnell and Simon Harmer put South Africa 'A' with a respectable 231 for six on the opening day of the second unofficial Test in Pretoria on Saturday.
'Jassi bhai just told me that the wicket-taking option was if you bowl at the stumps...'
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.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood scored 87 as the hosts reached 259 for 5 at the close of play on Day 1 of the second Test against a wasteful South Africa, who were poor in the field but kept in the contest by fine bowling in Rawalpindi on Monday.
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 romped to an eight-wicket win over Pakistan on the fourth day of the second Test on Thursday, claiming victory before lunch to level the two-match series.
Little-known ambidextrous Bengal spinner Kaushik Maity seamlessly doubled up for both roles during the optional practice session.
Marco Jansen picked 12 wickets in the two Tests at an average of 10.08 including a six-wicket haul in the first innings of the Guwahati Test, while Jasprit Bumrah managed eight wickets in the series.
Captain Rishabh Pant conceded that India needed to get better as a Test team.
Pakistan moved themselves into a strong position, needing eight wickets to win while South Africa are chasing an imposing target as the first Test headed for an exciting conclusion.
With the scars of last year's home series whitewash against New Zealand still raw, preparing rank turners may invite risk.
India have long curated home tracks that accentuate turn, but the assumption their own batters would master such conditions no longer appears safe following their defeat in the opening Test against South Africa.
Rohit Sharma followed up his knock of 73 in the second ODI in Adelaide with a match-winning unbeaten 121 in Sydney to be named the Player of the Series.
Former New Zealand player Ian Smith put down the Shubman Gill-led India's recent red ball struggles at home to their diminishing ability against spin.
Gill stretchered out with neck injury; ''just bad timing'', says Morne Morkel
South Africa captain Aiden Markram said their Test victory over hosts Pakistan in difficult conditions was a major confidence boost for the tourists, who will be heading to India next and expect an even sterner test.
Jason, who also served as Pakistan's head coach in 2024 from April to December, was interacting with his followers on X handle.
South Africa won the first Test in Durban by 220 runs, where they bowled Bangladesh out for 53 in their second innings.
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
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has denied speculation that the Board has approached batting great V V S Laxman to take over as Team India's Test coach and replace Gautam Gambhir.
'You saw Yashasvi Jaiswal start in the second innings, did you see the first three balls, the kind of shots that he attempted?'
South Africa pulled off a sensational victory inside three days of the opening Test against India on Sunday and the manner of it would go a long way in silencing those who doubted their credentials as the reigning world test champions.
Tilak Varma begins County stint with sizzling century for Hampshire against Essex
Ravichandran Ashwin exposed India batters' lack of quality to battle ball tweakers by claiming that if legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar or past domestic heroes Amol Muzumdar, the India women's team head coach and Mithun Manhas had played against spinners on such a track, the Test would have gone to four days, unlike India's harrowing 30-run defeat against South Africa at Eden Gardens.
South Africa coach Shukri Conrad was overwhelmed to see his spinners rule the roost in the first Test against India at the Eden Gardens, signalling to him that the Rainbow Nation is no longer an exclusive "fast bowling country" and hoped that a lot more slow bowlers will emerge.
