South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad could hardly hide his delight as his team inched closer to a historic moment in Indian cricketing conditions. With just eight wickets separating them from a famous Test series win on Indian soil, the Proteas are on the brink of achieving something they last managed 15 years ago—and only once before in history.
South Africa’s only previous Test series triumph in India came during the 1999–2000 tour, when Hansie Cronje’s men dominated with a commanding 2-0 sweep. Now, with the Freedom Trophy within touching distance, Temba Bavuma’s side stands poised to etch their names into the record books once again.
Defending a colossal target of 549, the visitors began Day 4 with immense purpose at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. They struck early, removing both Indian openers—Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul—for cheap scores. With India still needing more than 520 runs heading into the final day, the prospect of a draw looks bleak. The Proteas camp, sensing inevitability, already believes the contest is effectively theirs.
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The significance of this achievement becomes even greater considering their narrow 30-run win in the first Test at Eden Gardens, putting them 1–0 up in the two-match series. With momentum, discipline, and a clear plan, Conrad’s men are eager to seal the trophy decisively on Day 5.
Speaking at the end of Day 4, Conrad praised his team’s resilience and execution clarity, highlighting how effectively they have kept India under sustained pressure throughout the series. He reserved special praise for his spin unit—particularly Simon Harmer—calling South Africa’s spin attack “one of the best in the world right now.”
At the post-day press conference, Sukhri Conrad told RevSportz, “We wanted India to really grovel. I want to think the series is secured. The prep has been excellent, and we’ve got quality spinners who can be among the best globally.”
Conrad further added that South Africa’s dominating eight-wicket victory over Pakistan in Rawalpindi earlier this year played a crucial role in boosting the squad’s confidence and improving their readiness for subcontinent conditions. The coach believes those experiences have helped his players understand how to adapt and thrive on turning tracks.
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He concluded by saying, “The win in Pakista n gave us a lot more belief. I think we’re slightly better equipped now to handle conditions like these.”
Before arriving in India, South Africa had drawn their series against Pakistan—a contest shaped by strong first-innings contributions from Senuran Muthusamy, Tristan Stubbs, and Kagiso Rabada, followed by a majestic seven-wicket haul from Keshav Maharaj. That performance laid the foundation for the confidence and cohesion we are now seeing in India.
With history beckoning, the Proteas need just one more disciplined day to complete a remarkable achievement on Indian soil.
