Considering in terms of runs, Team India suffered the largest test match defeat to South Africa at home by 408 runs in the recently concluded clash in Guwahati. Additionally, the hosts faced a whitewashing 0-2 test series loss to the Proteas after 25 years.
Also, this marks the third instance of India getting whitewashed in a test series played at home, as well as their second in the past year under Gautam Gambhir’s coaching.
The recently concluded 2-match test series saw India break some big unwanted records. Here are those 10 worst records that India attained after losing the second test match to South Africa at the Barsapara Stadium.
1. Biggest Home Test Defeat in Terms of Runs
The Guwahati test marks the heaviest defeat for India by 408 runs at its own backyard, outbeating the 342-run loss to Australia back in 2004.
| Loss (in terms of Margin) | Opponent Team | Year | Venue |
| 408 Runs | South Africa | 2025 | Guwahati |
| 342 Runs | Australia | 2004 | Nagpur |
| 333 Runs | Australia | 2017 | Pune |
| 329 Runs | South Africa | 1996 | Kolkata |
2. Second-Largest Victory for South Africa in Test Cricket
A 408-run victory against India is indeed the second-biggest victory for South Africa (in terms of runs) in the history of test cricket. Earlier, Proteas secured a 492-run win against Australia back in 2018.
| Winning Margin (in Terms of Runs) | Opponent Team | Year | Venue |
| 492 Runs | Australia | 2018 | Johannesburg |
| 408 Runs | India | 2025 | Guwahati |
| 358 Runs | New Zealand | 2007 | Johannesburg |
| 356 Runs | England | 1994 | Lord’s |
| 351 Runs | West Indies | 1999 | Centurion |
3. Biggest Defeat in Terms of Runs in Test Cricket History
Considering the overall test records, India faced its biggest-ever loss against any team in the longest format (both home and away venues).
| Loss (in terms of Margin) | Opponent Team | Year | Venue |
| 408 Runs | South Africa | 2025 | Guwahati |
| 342 Runs | Australia | 2004 | Nagpur |
| 341 Runs | Pakistan | 2006 | Karachi |
| 337 Runs | Australia | 2007 | Melbourne |
| 333 Runs | Australia | 2017 | Pune |
| 329 Runs | South Africa | 1996 | Kolkata |
4. Second-Lowest Strike Rate by An Indian Batter in Test Cricket
Sai Sudharsan played the second-slowest test knock for India, having scored just 14 runs out of 139 balls. At a young age, he added an unwanted record to his name by recording a strike rate of 10.07, the second lowest ever by any Indian batter in the longest format (after facing a minimum of 100 balls).
| Player | Score | Strike Rate | Opponent Team | Year | Venue |
| Yashpal Sharma | 13 Runs (157 Balls) | 8.28 | Australia | 1981 | Adelaide |
| Sai Sudharsan | 14 Runs (139 Balls) | 10.07 | South Africa | 2025 | Guwahati |
| Motganhalli Jaisimha | 13 Runs (102 Balls) | 12.74 | Australia | 1968 | Sydney |
| Rahul Dravid | 14 Runs (109 Balls) | 12.84 | Australia | 1999 | Melbourne |
Sudharsan is now behind the former Indian batter Yashpal Sharma in the list, who scored the slowest ever knock of 13 runs out of 157 deliveries against Australia back in 1981.
5. Third Whitewashing Test Series Loss At Home
This is the third instance India faced a clean sweep in a test series, with the previous ones coming against New Zealand and South Africa back in 2024 and 2000, respectively.
- 2025: 0-2 Loss vs South Africa.
- 2024: 0-3 Loss vs New Zealand.
- 2000: 0-2 Loss vs South Africa.
6. Third Home Test Series For India Without an Individual Batter’s Century
The recently concluded test series against South Africa is indeed the third one for India where none of the batters has scored a century throughout the series.
| Year | Opponent Team | Indian Batsmen’s Highest Individual Score Throughout the Series |
| 1969 | New Zealand | Nawab of Pataudi: 67 Runs |
| 1995 | New Zealand | Mohammad Azharuddin: 87 Runs (148 Balls) |
| 2025 | South Africa | Yashasvi Jaiswal: 58 Runs (97 Balls) |
7. First Instance of Not Scoring 250+ in a Single Home Test Series
For the first time, Team India failed to surpass a 250+ score in any of the innings played in a single test series at home. Here is how the Proteas bowlers ripped apart India’s batting line-up by restricting them to the subpar total:
| Test Match | India’s 1st Innings Total | India’s 2nd Innings Total |
| 1st Test | 189 all-out in 62.2 overs | 93 all-out in 35 overs |
| 2nd Test | 201 all-out in 83.5 overs | 140 all-out in 63.5 overs |
8. No Individual Century By Any Indian Batter in Two Consecutive Tests
For the first time since 1969, no Indian batter has ever managed to score a century in two consecutive test matches of a series. The previous instance was against New Zealand back in 1969, where Nawab of Pataudi recorded the highest individual score for his side in the series.
9. India’s Lowest Batting Average in Home Tests
India recorded a batting average of 15.23 throughout the 2-match test series against South Africa. This is indeed the lowest ever for the hosts at home in a single test series against any opponent team.
Back in the 2002-03 season, India recorded its lowest average of 12.42 against New Zealand.
10. First Time in Four Decades to Lose Test Series in Successive Years
Following a 0-3 loss to New Zealand in October 2024, India faced another defeat of 0-2 to South Africa in November 2025. Also, this marks the first instance of India losing a test series at home in two consecutive years, ever since they faced defeat to West Indies (in 1983) and England (in 1984-85).