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India‘s proud home record in Test cricket has suffered a devastating blow with a 0-2 whitewash against South Africa in 2025, their third clean sweep on home soil and the first since New Zealand‘s 3-0 triumph in 2024. This marks South Africa’s second series victory in India, echoing their 2000 dominance after 25 years, as they crushed India by 408 runs in Guwahati—the hosts’ largest Test defeat by runs. Under head coach Gautam Gambhir, back-to-back home series losses against SENA countries have shattered the invincibility built over a decade, dropping India to fifth in the World Test Championship standings. Fans and analysts now question the end of India’s fortress-era, with five home Test defeats in seven matches—the most since 1959.
Three occasions when India were whitewashed in home Test series
- South Africa’s pioneering sweep in 2000
The first home whitewash came during the 1999-2000 South Africa tour, a two- match Test series where Hansie Cronje‘s Proteas triumphed 2-0, ending a 13-year drought for visiting teams in India. In Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, South Africa chased 236 to win by four wickets after India folded for 225 and 113, with Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald dismantling the batting. The Bengaluru decider saw India crumble to an innings defeat, bowled out for 250 chasing 400, as Nicky Boje claimed a five-wicket haul and 85 runs for Player of the Series honours alongside Jacques Kallis. This series, later tainted by match-fixing scandals involving Cronje, exposed India’s vulnerabilities against pace and spin.
Also READ: Top 5 biggest defeats of Team India in Test cricket
- New Zealand’s shocking 3-0 Triumph in 2024
Fast-forward to October-November 2024, New Zealand inflicted India’s first-ever 0-3 home whitewash in a three-Test series, the Black Caps’ maiden series victory on Indian pitches and India‘s initial multi-Test home clean sweep in 24 years. Spinners Ajaz Patel (11 wickets in the finale) and Glenn Phillips dominated, defending 146 in Mumbai despite Rishabh Pant‘s counter-attacking 64, while India managed just 29 for 5 early. Earlier losses in Bengaluru (including a 46 all out) and Pune highlighted batting collapses against pace and turn, with Rohit Sharma‘s side losing 37 wickets to spinners—the most at home in such a series. This rare feat made New Zealand only the fourth side to whitewash India in a 3+ Test rubber.
- Proteas repeat history with 2025 dominance
South Africa reclaimed glory in November 2025, securing a 2-0 sweep—their first in India since 2000—via a 30-run first-Test win in Kolkata and a colossal 408-run thrashing in Guwahati, India’s largest home defeat by runs. Chasing 549, India collapsed to 140 all out on Day 5, as Simon Harmer and Marco Jansen overwhelmed the lineup, with no Indian innings reaching 250. Stand-in captain Pant’s side failed to score a century across both Tests, a drought unseen since 1969, amplifying scrutiny on Gambhir’s aggressive blueprint amid back-to-back whitewashes. These setbacks dent India’s World Test Championship hopes, signalling a turbulent transition.
