India Rout South Africa by 280 Runs to Seal 4-1 Freedom Trophy Triumph

In a fitting finale at the hallowed Eden Gardens, India demolished South Africa by 280 runs in the 5th Test on December 18-22, 2025, clinching the Freedom Trophy 4-1 — their most dominant home series win since 2016-17. Batting first after Rohit Sharma won the toss, India racked up 512 for 7 declared, powered by Virat Kohli’s 200* (his 32nd Test ton) and Rishabh Pant’s blistering 142. South Africa were skittled for 198 and, following on, collapsed to 234 all out — Ravichandran Ashwin claiming 6 for 72 and Jasprit Bumrah 4 for 58. Set 315 in 78 overs, India knocked off the runs in 48.2 overs for 3 wickets, Shubman Gill’s 112* and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 98 sealing a 10-wicket chase in style. The victory extends India’s unbeaten home Test streak to 20 and cements their WTC final charge.

Eden’s 68,000-capacity cauldron was at fever pitch across five days — day five’s 42,000 a sea of tricolour as Ashwin spun his magic under lights. The red-soil pitch started true, offered reverse on day three, and crumbled into dust by day five. Rohit’s declaration at 512-7 was bold; South Africa’s batting frailty was exposed ruthlessly. For Markram, the whitewash was brutal; for Kohli, the double-ton was redemption after Vizag’s struggles.

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: Aleem Dar & Kumar Dharmasena. Third umpire: Nitin Menon.

India 1st Innings – 512-7 dec (148.2 overs)
Jaiswal (68) and Rohit (88) added 152; Rabada trapped Rohit lbw — 152-1. Gill fell for 38 — 198-2. Kohli arrived like a king. He reached fifty off 92 balls, then unleashed: lofting Maharaj for three sixes in an over. Pant joined the carnage — pulling Ngidi for six, racing to 142 off 128 balls (14×4, 6×6). Kohli reached 200* off 312 balls (22×4, 4×6) before Rohit declared at tea on day three. Jadeja (48), Ashwin (32) unbeaten. Rabada 3-132, Maharaj 2-118.

South Africa 1st Innings – 198 all out (68.3 overs)
Markram (28) yorked by Bumrah — 38-1. Bedingham (42) edged Jadeja — 88-2. Bavuma (38) bowled by Ashwin’s doosra — 118-3. Stubbs (32) stumped off Sundar — 158-5. Rickelton top-scored with 48 before Bumrah’s reverse swing shattered the tail — 198 all out. Ashwin 4-52, Bumrah 3-38, Jadeja 2-48. Follow-on enforced.

South Africa 2nd Innings – 234 all out (82.3 overs)
Markram scratched 18 before Ashwin’s carrom ball — 28-1. Bedingham (38) lbw to Jadeja — 68-2. Bavuma fought to 72, but Ashwin ran riot: Stubbs stumped for 28, Rickelton bowled for 38 — 168-5. Mulder (22) holed out, Maharaj (18) stumped — 234 all out. Ashwin 6-72 (match 10-124), Bumrah 4-58. Target: 315.

India 2nd Innings – 318-3 (48.2 overs)
Jaiswal (98) and Gill (112) added 212 — Jaiswal fell 2 short of a ton, caught at long-on off Maharaj. Rohit (28) edged Rabada — 238-2. Kohli (32) joined Gill; the duo sealed it with a pulled six off Ngidi in the 48.2nd over — 10-wicket victory. Rabada 2-88, Maharaj 1-102.

Rohit Sharma: “Kohli’s 200*, Ashwin’s 10-for — perfect series end.”
Ashwin, Player of the Match: “Eden dust is my playground.”
Markram: “Outplayed in all facets — India deserved 4-1.”

Final Series: India 4–1 South Africa

• 1st Test (Kolkata): India won by 6 wkts
• 2nd Test (Guwahati): SA won by 5 wkts
• 3rd Test (Ranchi): India won by 142 runs
• 4th Test (Visakhapatnam): India won by 32 runs
• 5th Test (Kolkata): India won by 280 runs

Player of the Series: Virat Kohli (588 runs @ 98.00, 2 hundreds)
India now top the WTC table — one step from Lord’s final.