India suffered their heaviest Test defeat by runs as Simon Harmer completed a six-wicket haul to help South Africa sweep the beleaguered hosts 2-0.

Having reached stumps on day four at 27-2 after being set a mammoth target of 549, India's Ravindra Jadeja declared a draw would be "as good as a win".

But they never got close to threatening even that small consolation in front of sparsely populated stands at Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.

South Africa endured a couple of frustrating near misses at the start of their hunt for eight wickets, with Sai Sudharsen reprieved by a no-ball after being caught off Marco Jansen's bowling and Kuldeep Yadav dropped by Aiden Markram.

But the floodgates opened when Harmer knocked Yadav (5) over, and three deliveries later, the same bowler had Dhruv Jurel (2) caught by Markram to drop India to 42-4.

The same duo combined for Harmer's next wicket, with Rishabh Pant (13) the victim, then Markram was the grateful recipient of another routine catch off Sudharsan (14), from Senuran Muthusamy's delivery.

That was Markram's eighth catch of the Test, the joint-most in any single match in the format alongside Ajinkya Rahane versus Sri Lanka in 2015, and the record was his outright when he lunged to take Washington Sundar's (16) strike off another Harmer ball.

Harmer's sixth and final wicket of the innings accounted for Nitish Kumar Reddy (0), and though Ravindra Jadeja offered some resistance, his knock of 54 was ended by a stumping from Keshav Maharaj.

And Maharaj claimed the final wicket, too, though Jansen will get the plaudits for his stunning catch to take Mohammed Siraj (0), which condemned India to a 408-run loss.

 MATCH RESULT 

A dominant display from #TheProteas Men as they claim victory by an incredible 408 runs!! 

Setting a new record for South Africa’s biggest winning margin over India in Test cricket.  pic.twitter.com/GS9AaN2hLe

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) November 26, 2025

Data Debrief: India crumble once more

India's previous record defeat, in terms of runs, was a 342-run loss to Australia in Nagpur in 2004. 

South Africa surpassed that mark with relative ease on day five, making light of suggestions captain Temba Bavuma had waited too long to declare on day four.

Harmer was the star of the show, taking five wickets on Wednesday – coupled with one late scalp on Tuesday – to finish the fourth innings 6-37, his best-ever figures in the format. Throughout the series as a whole, Harmer took 17 wickets at an average of 8.94.

India, meanwhile, have been swept twice at home in the space of 12 months (also 0-3 versus New Zealand), having previously lost just two Test series on their own turf in 24 years (32 wins, five draws).