India stayed on course to make it to their third straight WTC final.
It was India's fourth loss in the current WTC cycle, causing their PCT to drop from 68.06 to 62.82.
The Rohit Sharma-led team has two Tests left in Australia, and their fate is still in their hands.
For Ian Smith, a player of Rishabh Pant's calibre walks into any T20 side and hence the former New Zealand stumper finds it baffling that the keeper-batter hasn't been picked for the upcoming World Cup starting in less than three weeks' time.
Temba Bavuma-led South Africa on Monday clinched a massive 10-wicket victory over Pakistan
South Africa's run to the WTC final has been driven by their dominant performances, especially at home. In those matches, their potent pace attack, featuring Kagiso Rabada (37 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 19.8) and Marco Jansen (29 wickets in 7 matches), has proved to be a game changer.
Australia took the upper hand in the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord's, ending day two on 144-8 in their second innings with a lead of 218 runs after wickets tumbled freely again on Thursday.
Markram hopes a run of sporting trophy droughts broken in 2025 rings true at the World Test Championship 2025 Final, with the Proteas taking on defending champions Australia from June 11.
India stumbled to second place in the ICC World Test Championship 2025 table after suffering a 0-3 series whitewash against New Zealand.
Aiden Markram scored an unbeaten century as South Africa edged tantalisingly close to an unlikely success in the World Test Championship final, needing 69 runs to dethrone Australia after reaching 213-2 at stumps on the third day at Lord's on Friday.
Pat Cummins tore through South Africa before a Proteas fightback left the ICC World Test Championship Final 2025 on a knife-edge at the end of an absorbing second day at Lord's.
From Royal Challengers Bengaluru's historic first IPL title to star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra finally breaking the iconic 90-meter mark to India women winning their first cricket World Cup, this was the year of long-awaited victories and record-breaking feats.
This is India's second whitewash at home under head coach Gautam Gambhir.
The Indian men ruled white-ball cricket, while South Africa ended decades of hurt by winning the World Test Championship at Lord's. Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally lifted their maiden IPL title, though the celebrations were dimmed by a deadly stampede. Above all, it was India's women who won a billion hearts by finally adding an ICC World Cup trophy to the cabinet.
Pandya has played 11 Test matches for India, scoring 532 runs at an average of 31.29 with a century and four fifties, along with 17 wickets at an average of 31.05 under his belt.
India are 1-0 up in the two-match series, having beaten WI by an innings and 140 runs in the first Test at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.
Ganguly lauded Gill's leadership during India's tour of England, noting the challenge of captaining at a young age in such conditions
Shubman Gill's unbeaten 129 in Delhi wasn't just another century; it was history etched in numbers and intent.
South Africa are within touching distance of a place in next June's World Test Championship final at Lord's but must win at least one of their two Tests against Pakistan
IMAGES from Day 1 of the WTC Final between Australia and South Africa at Lord's on Wednesday
Proteas edge Pakistan to win thriller at Centurion
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
AB de Villiers feels the criticism that has come South Africa's way is unwarranted and they have rather done well to reach the WTC final despite experiencing "so many changes" in the last three to five years.
Pakistan's players were fined 25 percent of their match fee and docked World Test Championship points for failing to maintaining a slow over-rate during the second Test against South Africa.
India have relied on their spin strength on rank turners to gain points in WTC cycles in the past but Gill has said he wants his side to play on tracks that offer equally to batters and bowlers.
Pakistan's loss has had a detrimental impact on their WTC aspirations. India continues to lead the WTC table with a commanding 68.52 points in 9 games.
Lungi Ngidi's call-up indicates that Kagiso Rabada, who missed the team's memorable win in Kolkata due to a rib injury, is still uncertain for the Guwahati Test
The collapse, India's lowest failed chase at home, has left behind deeper fault lines than a dry Eden Gardens wicket can conceal.
Armed with a potent spin attack, taking on South Africa seems like competing against a "subcontinent team", Ten Doeschate said, admitting that they need to get better at negotiating the challenge posed by tweakers.
The win propelled New Zealand from sixth to fourth in the updated standings, with a win-loss percentage of 44.44%,
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.
'Every series is important, as simple as that, when you are playing for your country..'.
Spinner Keshav Maharaj took five wickets as South Africa secured a 109-run victory over Sri Lanka on the last day of the second Test.
'Hopefully, not too far in the future, but more in the near future, we'll go back to play four Tests against India'
Former Australian captain Brad Haddin encouraged the Aussie public to go out and watch Indian icons Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in action
Skipper Shubman Gill acknowledged that the choice between a spinner and an extra seamer for the first Test against South Africa is nothing short of a "conflict".
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.
The 0-3 loss to New Zealand at home last year still haunts India head coach Gautam Gambhir and he also doesn't want his players to forget that rare drubbing in Tests as they build for the future.
South Africa are confident they can chase down a spot in next year's World Test Championship final, even if they must win four of their remaining five Tests in the current two-year cycle
BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirmed that Rohit will captain India in the ICC Champions Trophy scheduled to be held in Pakistan and the WTC Final which will be played at Lord's in June 2025.
