India Crush South Africa by 142 Runs to Reclaim Series Lead

In a statement of ruthless dominance at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi, India stormed to a 142-run victory over South Africa in the 3rd Test on November 30 – December 4, 2025, seizing a 2-1 lead in the five-match Freedom Trophy. Batting first after winning the toss, India piled on 432, with Virat Kohli’s imperious 188 and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 102 forging a 212-run opening stand. South Africa were then skelped for 218 and, forced to follow on, managed only 272 in their second dig — Ravichandran Ashwin’s 7 for 82 the destroyer. Set 287 to win, India never looked back, knocking off the runs in 68.2 overs for the loss of just four wickets, Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 98 the finishing flourish. The win extends India’s unbeaten home Test streak to 19 and puts South Africa on the brink of a first series defeat in India since 2000.

Ranchi’s red-soil pitch, true on day one but crumbling into dust by day five, played host to 38,000 fans across the Test — day four’s 15,000 a cauldron of noise as Ashwin spun his web. Rohit Sharma’s decision to bat first was vindicated by a batting masterclass, while Aiden Markram’s young side wilted under the twin pressures of spin and scoreboard. For Kohli, the 188 was his 31st Test hundred and first at Ranchi; for Ashwin, the seven-for was his 37th five-wicket haul. As the Barmy Army chanted “Kohli! Kohli!” under floodlights, the series pendulum swung decisively back to the hosts.

India XI
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

South Africa XI
Aiden Markram, David Bedingham, Temba Bavuma (c), Tristan Stubbs, Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi

Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena & Rod Tucker. Third umpire: Anil Chaudhary.

India 1st Innings – 432 all out (124.3 overs)
Jaiswal and Rohit began with swagger. Jaiswal clipped Rabada through midwicket for four in the second over; Rohit answered with a blazing cover drive off Jansen. The powerplay yielded 58-0, the ball racing to the rope on a lightning outfield. Rabada finally broke through in the 18th over, trapping Rohit lbw for 48 off 62 — 92-1. Gill fell soon after, edging Ngidi to slip for 12 — 112-2. But Kohli arrived like a colossus. He flicked Jansen off his pads for four, then lofted Maharaj over long-on for six. Jaiswal reached his hundred off 142 balls with a pulled boundary off Mulder, only to fall lbw to Maharaj for 102 — 304-3. Rahul added 38, Pant a breezy 45, Jadeja 32, but it was Kohli who carried the day. He reached 150 with a straight six off Ngidi, then 188 off 242 balls (22×4, 3×6) before edging Rabada to slip. India collapsed from 398-4 to 432 all out, Rabada 4-98, Maharaj 3-112.

South Africa 1st Innings – 218 all out (78.2 overs)
Markram scratched 8 before Bumrah’s yorker cleaned him up — 12-1. Bedingham and de Zorzi added 48, but Jadeja’s arm ball trapped de Zorzi lbw for 22 — 60-2. Bavuma fought to 38 before Ashwin’s doosra spun past the edge to rattle off stump — 98-3. Stubbs (28) and Rickelton (32) resisted briefly, but Ashwin’s carrom ball bowled Stubbs and Jadeja had Rickelton stumped. Mulder (18) and Maharaj (12) scratched, but Siraj’s bouncer hurried Ngidi — 218 all out. Ashwin 4-52, Jadeja 3-48, Bumrah 2-38. India enforced the follow-on.

South Africa 2nd Innings – 272 all out (92.3 overs)
Markram fell early again — lbw to Bumrah for 4 — 8-1. Bedingham (22) edged Jadeja to slip, de Zorzi (18) stumped off Ashwin — 48-3. Bavuma and Stubbs added 68, but Ashwin’s drift deceived Bavuma lbw for 52 — 116-4. Rickelton holed out to long-on off Sundar for 38 — 168-5. Mulder (28) and Maharaj (32) fought, but Ashwin ran riot: Jansen stumped for 12, Rabada bowled for 0, Ngidi lbw for 4 — 272 all out. Ashwin 7-82 (match figures 11-134), Jadeja 2-62. Target: 287.

India 2nd Innings – 290-4 (68.2 overs)
Jaiswal fell early — caught behind off Rabada for 18 — 28-1. Rohit scratched 32 before edging Maharaj to slip — 68-2. Kohli (42) and Gill rebuilt with a 98-run stand, but Rabada trapped Kohli lbw — 166-3. Rahul added 38 before holing out to deep midwicket off Maharaj — 218-4. Gill and Pant (32) sealed it: Gill reached 98 off 132 balls (12×4, 1×6) with a flicked four off Ngidi in the 68.2nd over — 290-4. Rabada 2-78, Maharaj 2-92.

Rohit Sharma: “Kohli’s 188 was vintage; Ashwin’s seven-for sealed it.”
Ashwin, Player of the Match: “Ranchi dust suits me; team depth showed.”
Markram: “We fought in patches, but India’s class prevailed.”

Series: India 2–1 South Africa
Next: 4th Test, Visakhapatnam, December 11-15.
India’s spin chokehold continues; South Africa need a miracle to save the series.