Guwahati, Nov 26 (UNI) India captain Rishabh Pant on Wednesday conceded that his side’s crushing 408-run defeat to South Africa, the heaviest Test loss in India’s history both at home and away, was a hard setback to accept, admitting that the team fell short in clarity, execution and seizing the big moments that defined the series.
Pant said the hosts were outplayed across both Tests and must absorb the lessons quickly. “It’s a little disappointing. As a team we need to get better. We need to give credit to the opposition. We need to take the learning and stick as a team,” he said after the match.
“They dominated the series but at the same time, you can’t take credit for granted. We needed to be clear with our mindset. In the future, we need to learn from it and get better. They played better cricket… and we did not capitalise. That cost us the whole series.”
He added that India would take forward the positive of sticking to their own plans. “The positive will be focusing on our own plan and that’s what we will take from this series,” Pant said.
South Africa, meanwhile, celebrated a landmark win, with Aiden Markram describing the triumph as a blend of discipline, adaptability and a touch of luck on crucial occasions. “It’s a great feeling. Great effort by everyone to be fair. No easy task coming to India and win. Needed a few moments of good luck along the way. We’re here now, very proud of the team,” he said.
Markram said the Proteas entered the series with no preconceived ideas about conditions despite pre-match chatter about spin and early seam movement. “You don’t want to have demons in your mind before facing your first ball,” he said.
The South African skipper also etched his name into the record books by taking nine catches in the match — the most ever by a fielder in Test cricket. He credited his bowlers for consistently creating opportunities. “They get the balls in the right areas and you try to catch them and make them happy,” he said with a smile.
Markram praised his bowlers’ variety and control, especially on a pitch with more grass than usual. “When you have two quality seamers, you’re going to be tested. You need a little bit of luck. Ricks and I were able to calm the change-room down and get us off to a half-solid start. The rest of the guys all got starts, and Sen showed us how to kick on and get a big score. It’s a moment I’m sure Sen is really proud of,” he said.
India’s second innings unravelled quickly. The nightwatchman departed early, and wickets fell in a heap as South Africa’s disciplined attack maintained relentless pressure. Markram’s record-setting catching effort continued to shape the innings, before a spectacular grab by Marco Jansen sealed India’s dramatic collapse.
The emphatic win handed South Africa a commanding series triumph and left India facing searching questions ahead of their next outing. Pant insisted the team would regroup with renewed focus. “You learn more from losses,” he said. “We will come back stronger.”
