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Every successful performance by the Test series on foreign grounds is valued for its scarcity, but the Proteas’ 2-0 victory over India, concluded on the fifth and last day of the series in Guwahati, will be remembered in history as one of the greatest.

The second Test victory margin of 408 runs confirmed the Proteas’ superiority. This was most clearly shown by Marco Jansen’s incredible catch, as he sprinted 40 meters and used his left hand to grab a difficult catch, dismissing the last man, Mohammed Siraj.

The Proteas have shown superiority in every aspect of this series. The Proteas’ spinners, especially Simon Harmer, outperformed their more well-known Indian rivals.

Harmer took 6 wickets for 37 runs, with four coming on the last day, forcing India to collapse and finish at 140 all out.

The spin bowler, who was awarded Player of the Match in the opening Test at Eden Gardens, achieved even greater success in Guwahati, securing a nine-wicket performance and an impressive 17 wickets throughout the series.

The Pacers performed just as well, despite the absence of their key player Kagiso Rabada, who was sidelined for the entire series because of a rib injury. Jansen rose to the occasion in the second Test, taking seven wickets in the match, along with scoring 93 in the first innings.

Even the Proteas’ fielding was exceptional, with Aiden Markram taking a world record nine catches in the second Test.

There could have been speculation about whether the Proteas would win the World Test Championship final, but they are now the clear world champions following their first series win in India in 25 years.

“It’s an amazing experience, with tremendous effort from all. It’s not simple to come to India, facing challenging conditions that are unfamiliar to us. As a team, you must believe you can compete against the best on their home ground, with a few fortunate moments along the way and extremely proud of the squad,” said Markram.

As a team, we’ve done well in finding ways to adapt to the conditions [in South Asia, securing a victory in Rawalpindi]. There’s been much discussion about spin, and the quality of fast bowlers with the new ball. It’s a significant test of character to come here and win.

SCOREBOARD

Second Test, Day 5

South Africa scored 489 all out and are at 260/5

India: 201 all out and 140 all out (Jadeja scored 54, Harmer took 6 wickets for 37 runs)

South Africa secured a victory with a margin of 408 runs