india vs south africa match

india vs south africa match November 14, 2025.

Test series against South Africa starting on November 14, 2025.

last match details

Date: February 23, 2025
Venue: The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Event: Freedom Trophy, 3rd Test (Series Decider)

Prologue: The Stage is Set for a Colossal Showdown

The air in Johannesburg is thin, crisp, and crackling with an electricity unique to this corner of the world. The Bullring, as the Wanderers Stadium is ominously known, is not just a cricket ground; it’s a coliseum. It’s a place where reputations are forged in fire and where visiting teams’ mettle is tested to its absolute limit. For the Indian cricket team, this fortress has been a house of horrors. Memories of past drubbings, of Steyn and Philander, of Rabada and Nortje, linger in the Highveld breeze. But on this day, something feels different.

This isn’t just another Test match. This is the decider. The series is locked at 1-1. India, under the resilient leadership of a matured Shubman Gill, snatched a miraculous victory in Cape Town. South Africa, led by the indomitable Temba Bavuma, retaliated with a brutal display of fast bowling in Centurion. Everything boils down to this: 98 overs per day, for five days. One match to decide the fate of the Freedom Trophy.

The narrative is rich. Can India finally win a series on South African soil, a final frontier that has remained unconquered for generations? Or will South Africa, in their transition phase, reassert their home dominance? The pitch is a classic Wanderers strip – a green mamba with a sheen of moisture, promising pace, bounce, and carnage. The toss, everyone agrees, will be crucial.

Day 1: A Rollercoaster of Fire, Grit, and Carnage

Session 1: The Fiery Baptism

Captain Shubman Gill calls correctly. The entire Indian dressing room holds its breath. The instinct is to bat. The pitch is green, but the sun is out. It might just be the best time to bat. Gill, with a steely look, announces, “We’ll have a bat.”

The decision is met with a roar from the packed stands, a mix of surprise and anticipation. As Yashasvi Jawan and Shubman Gill walk out, they are greeted by a sight that would make any batsman’s blood run cold: Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, and the newest sensation, the 6’8″ giant Marco van der Merwe, standing at the top of their marks, ready to unleash hell.

The first hour is a masterclass in survival. The ball is whistling past helmets, thudding into the keeper’s gloves, and beating the edge with alarming frequency. Jaiswal, all grit and determination, leaves everything outside off. Gill, elegant yet resolute, gets off the mark with a sublime straight drive off Nortje. But the pressure is immense.

In the 12th over, the breakthrough. Rabada, with a ball that is just a fraction shorter, gets it to climb viciously on Jaiswal. The left-hander fends at it, and the ball flies to second slip where Aiden Markram takes a comfortable catch. India: 31/1.

The new batsman is the pillar, the rock, Virat Kohli. At 36, his eyes still burn with the same fire. The South Africans swarm him, a pack of wolves sensing a legendary prey. The battle is epic. Nortje beats him twice in an over with sheer pace. Kohli responds with a breathtaking cover drive, a statement of intent.

Just as the session seems to be tilting towards India, Gill, who had looked solid for his 28, nicks one behind off van der Merwe. The giant gets his first wicket, and the Bullring erupts. The score reads a precarious 65/2 at Lunch. It’s South Africa’s session, but India has two aces left: Kohli and the ever-dependable KL Rahul.

Session 2: The King and the Iceman Weather the Storm

The post-lunch session is where Test matches are won and lost. The ball is still new, the bowlers are fresh, and the sun has baked the pitch, potentially opening up cracks. Rabada and Nortje come out breathing fire once more.

Kohli and Rahul are a study in contrast. Kohli is all intensity, every defensive shot played with a grimace, every run celebrated with a fist pump. Rahul is serenity personified, a still head, soft hands, and an unflappable temperament. They blunt the attack. They rotate the strike. They punish the loose deliveries.

They bring up a 50-run partnership, then a 100-run stand. The South African shoulders begin to drop. The edges that were carrying are now falling short. The momentum is shifting. Kohli brings up his 50 with a flick off his pads, a landmark greeted with a roar that silences the home crowd. He looks set for a big one.

And then, the sucker punch. Just half an hour before Tea, part-time spinner Keshav Maharaj is brought on. It’s a defensive move. Kohli, on 67, sees a half-volley and drills it back. Maharaj sticks out his left hand in his follow-through, and the ball sticks. A miraculous, reflex catch. Kohli is gone against the run of play. The Wanderers explodes. India: 185/3.

The wicket rejuvenates the Proteas. Rahul, now joined by the young prodigy, Riyan Parag, who has cemented his place in the Test side, navigates the remaining overs to take India to 212/3 at Tea. A session of two halves, perfectly poised.

Session 3: The Lower Order Collapse and a Glimmer of Hope

The final session is pure, unadulterated chaos. Rahul, looking good for a century, adds just 5 runs to his score before Nortje, with the second new ball, gets one to seam away and finds the edge. Rahul departs for a gutsy 78.

What follows is a procession. Parag, deceived by a Rabada slower ball, lobs a simple catch to cover. Pant, in typical fashion, smashes two fours and then holes out at deep point. Jadeja is trapped LBW by a van der Merwe yorker.

From a strong 212/3, India capitulates to 245 all out. The last 7 wickets fall for just 33 runs. It’s a disappointing end, squandering the platform built by Kohli and Rahul.

But the day isn’t over. South Africa has to face 8 overs. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, with the new ball under lights, are a terrifying prospect. And they deliver. Bumrah, with his very first ball, produces an unplayable inswinger that crashes into Dean Elgar’s pads. The umpire’s finger goes up. Elgar, in his farewell series, is gone for a golden duck. The stadium is stunned.

Siraj, from the other end, is all hustle and aggression. He beats Markram’s edge twice. The final over of the day from Bumrah produces another edge from Markram, but it flies between second and third slip for a four.

Stumps, Day 1:
India: 245 all out
South Africa: 12/1 (8 overs) – Trail by 233 runs

The day ends with South Africa marginally ahead, but that late wicket of Elgar has given India a massive psychological boost. The game is on a knife’s edge.

Day 2: The Bavuma Masterclass and a Mountain to Climb

Session 1: The Captain’s Grit

Day 2 dawns bright and sunny. The pitch seems to have settled a bit, but there is still enough in it for the bowlers. Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma walk out with a clear goal: see off the new ball. Bumrah and Siraj are relentless, but the South African pair is up to the task. They play and miss, they leave well, they take the body blows.

Just as a partnership is building, Ashwin, introduced early, works his magic. He flights one beautifully to Markram, who drives on the up, only to find the fielder at extra cover. A soft dismissal. South Africa: 55/2.

This brings the explosive Tristan Stubbs to the crease. He counter-attacks, taking on Ashwin and Jadeja. He smashes three sixes, changing the momentum swiftly. But his aggression is his downfall. Trying to take on Bumrah, he skies one to deep mid-wicket, where Gill takes a well-judged catch. South Africa: 110/3.

At the other end, Bavuma is a picture of concentration. He is leaving anything outside off, and mercilessly punishing anything on his pads. He brings up a fighting fifty, his first of the series, and the home crowd rises to applaud their skipper. Lunch is taken with South Africa at 130/3. Bavuma is on 65*, with the dangerous Kyle Verreynne for company.

Session 2: The Partnership that Broke Indian Hearts

The post-lunch session is where the match threatens to slip away from India. Bavuma and Verreynne dig in. They nullify the spin threat and play the pacers with soft hands. The runs start to flow. Bavuma is now playing some glorious shots, his cover drive a thing of beauty. Verreynne is busy, rotating the strike and finding the boundaries.

The Indian bowlers begin to look tired. The intensity drops. The fielding, usually sharp, lets go of a few half-chances. The partnership crosses 100, then 150. The scoreboard ticks past 250. The lead is being erased, and a significant one is being built.

Bavuma, cramping and exhausted, pushes on. He flicks a single off Siraj to bring up a magnificent, series-defining century. It’s an innings of pure character, one of the finest by a South African captain. Just before Tea, he finally falls, edging a tired drive off Bumrah to the keeper. He walks off to a standing ovation for a monumental 127. South Africa: 285/4.

Session 3: Jadeja’s Fiery Spell and a Manageable Deficit

The wicket of Bavuma opens a door for India. Verreynne is still there, but Jadeja, with the old ball, produces a spell of fire. He traps the new batsman, Marco van der Merwe, LBW for a duck. Two balls later, he cleans up Keshav Maharaj with a beauty that turns past the bat.

Suddenly, South Africa is 290/6. The collapse is on. Verreynne, now running out of partners, tries to farm the strike but falls to Siraj for a well-made 85. The tail wags a little, with Rabada hitting a six, but they are eventually bowled out for 350.

India has a deficit of 105 runs. A daunting task, but not insurmountable. They have 4 overs to survive. Jaiswal and Gill walk out, knowing that their second innings starts now. They negotiate a fiery spell from Rabada and Nortje with courage, seeing through the day without any damage.

Stumps, Day 2:
South Africa: 350 all out (Lead by 105 runs)
India: 12/0 (4 overs) – Trail by 93 runs

India is still behind, but they have all 10 wickets intact. Day 3 is now the most critical day of the series.

Day 3: The Gill Epic – A Captain’s Knock for the Ages

Session 1: Laying the Foundation

The morning of Day 3 is tense. Every run is cheered, every play-and-miss met with a collective gasp. Jaiswal and Gill are cautious but positive. They see off the first hour, the most dangerous period. Jaiswal, in particular, starts to open up, cutting and pulling anything short.

Just as the partnership looks settled, Jaiswal falls, edging a drive off Nortje to first slip. He goes for a valuable 38. The score is 65/1.

Kohli walks in. The atmosphere is electric. The battle between Kohli and Rabada is worth the price of admission alone. Rabada beats him, Kohli drives him gloriously. It’s a mini-battle within the war. But just before the drinks break, Kohli, on 19, gets a delivery from van der Merwe that keeps low. He is trapped on the crease and given LBW. The review shows it’s clipping the top of leg stump. Umpire’s Call. He has to go. India: 89/2, still 16 runs behind.

The pressure is immense. KL Rahul joins his captain in the middle. They navigate the remaining overs to take India to Lunch at 115/2, now leading by a slender 10 runs. The session is even, but India has lost two key wickets.

Session 2: The Gill-Rahul Masterclass

This session is where the match, and perhaps the series, is defined. Gill and Rahul bat with a blend of supreme defense and calculated aggression. They target Maharaj, not allowing him to settle. Gill brings up his fifty with a sublime cover drive, a captain leading from the front.

Rahul, at the other end, is a perfect foil. He is content to rotate the strike and let Gill take the lead. Their understanding is telepathic. They run hard, turning ones into twos, putting pressure on the fielders. The South African bowlers, for the first time in the match, look human. The lead grows: 50, then 100.

Gill, now in the zone, starts to play some breathtaking shots. His flicks through mid-wicket are a thing of beauty. His driving down the ground is effortless. He moves into the 90s. The entire Indian dressing room is on its feet. He pushes a single to cover and raises his bat to a thunderous ovation. A century in the cauldron of the Bullring, a captain’s knock under immense pressure. It’s one of the great Indian overseas hundreds.

At Tea, India is 225/2, leading by 120 runs. Gill is 112, Rahul is 65. The momentum has decisively shifted.

Session 3: Building the Fortress and the Late Wickets

The final session is about building an unassailable lead. Gill and Rahul continue to grind the South African attack into the dust. The partnership crosses 150, then 200. The bowlers are tired, the field settings are defensive. It’s a display of pure dominance.

Just when a massive total seems inevitable, Rahul falls. Trying to cut a ball too close to him from Maharaj, he edges it to the keeper. He walks back for a magnificent 91, his partnership with Gill worth a colossal 221 runs.

The wicket brings a rejuvenated Rabada back into the attack. In his second over, he produces a jaffa to dismiss the new batsman, Riyan Parag, for a duck. Two wickets in quick succession.

Rishabh Pant, promoted to up the ante, plays a cameo of 25 off 18 balls before holing out. But at the other end, Gill is a rock. He remains unbeaten on 158 as Stumps are called. A truly legendary innings.

Stumps, Day 3:
India: 325/5 (Lead by 220 runs)
Shubman Gill: 158, Ravindra Jadeja: 4

India is in the driver’s seat. A lead of 220 with 5 wickets in hand. The question is no longer if they can win, but how much they will set South Africa, and when they will declare.

Day 4: The Declaration and the Proteas’ Flicker of Hope

Session 1: The Accelerated Charge and the Declaration

The morning is all about quick runs. Gill and Jadeja come out with clear intent. Jadeja is the aggressor, smashing Maharaj for two sixes. Gill adds 10 quick runs to his overnight score before he is finally dismissed, bowled by a Rabada yorker for a majestic 168. The entire South African team applauds him off the field.

The Indian tail doesn’t hang around. They swing hard, adding another 40 runs in quick time. Captain Gill, with a lead of 298 runs, calls the batsmen in. India declares at 385/9, setting South Africa a target of 299 to win.

It’s a sporting declaration. It gives India 140 overs to bowl out South Africa, but also leaves a window for the Proteas, knowing that a draw would mean they retain the trophy.

Session 2: The Early Strikes and the Rebuilding

The target is challenging but not impossible. The pitch, while wearing, is still decent for batting. South Africa needs a solid start. They don’t get it.

Bumrah, with the weight of the nation on his shoulders, produces a magical spell. He cleans up Dean Elgar for the second time in the match, with a delivery that seams back in to knock over the off-stump. In his next over, he gets Aiden Markram to edge to second slip. South Africa: 15/2.

The Bullring is silenced. But then, Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs decide to counter-attack. They take on the Indian bowling, playing their shots. Stubbs is particularly severe on Siraj, hitting him for three boundaries in an over. The run rate climbs, and the partnership flourishes. They take the score to 85/2 at Tea. The game is alive.

Session 3: The Twilight Collapse

The post-Tea session, under overcast skies, proves to be the turning point. Mohammed Siraj, brought back for a short spell, gets the crucial breakthrough. He angles one across Stubbs, who drives loosely and edges to Pant. Stubbs goes for a breezy 45. South Africa: 95/3.

The wicket opens the floodgates. Bavuma, who had been playing so well, is run out by a direct hit from substitute fielder Washington Sundar. A moment of madness. 98/4.

The very next over, Ravindra Jadeja gets one to turn and bounce sharply to take the glove of Kyle Verreynne, presenting a simple catch to short leg. 102/5.

The crowd is in shock. From 85/2, South Africa has lost 3 wickets for 17 runs. The lower order is exposed. Ashwin gets into the act, trapping the nightwatchman Nortje LBW.

Stumps, Day 4:
South Africa: 125/6 (Require 174 more runs to win)
Keshav Maharaj: 4, Kagiso Rabada: 0

South Africa’s hopes rest on the shoulders of Maharaj and Rabada, with only the tail to follow. India needs just 4 wickets. The final day promises to be a coronation.

Day 5: The Grand Finale – Heartbreak and Ecstasy

The Wanderers is packed. There is a sense of inevitable history in the air. The Indian fans are in a frenzy, the South African fans are praying for a miracle.

Session 1: The Swift Conclusion

It takes just 25 minutes. Jasprit Bumrah, with the second new ball, ends all resistance. He bowls a vicious, searing yorker that smashes into Rabada’s toes. Plumb LBW. 127/7.

Two balls later, he produces an identical delivery to van der Merwe, who can only inside-edge it onto his stumps. 127/8.

The end is nigh. Mohammed Siraj, from the other end, cleans up Maharaj with a full, fast delivery. 129/9.

The entire stadium rises. The field comes in. Every fielder is around the bat. Anrich Nortje manages to block a few balls, but the pressure is immense. Finally, it’s Ravichandran Ashwin who delivers the final blow. He tosses one up to Nortje, who swings hard and skies it towards long-on. Shubman Gill settles under it, takes the catch, and lets out a roar that echoes across the Highveld.

SOUTH AFRICA ARE BOWLED OUT FOR 129!

INDIA WIN BY 169 RUNS!

Pandemonium!

The Indian players rush onto the field, embracing each other. They have done it. They have conquered the final frontier. Shubman Gill is lifted onto the shoulders of Kohli and Bumrah. Tears of joy stream down the faces of the players and the thousands of Indian fans in the stadium. This is more than a victory; it’s a legacy-defining moment.

Post-Match: Reflections on a Historic Triumph

The presentation ceremony is emotional. Temba Bavuma is gracious in defeat, praising his team’s fight and acknowledging India’s superior performance.

Player of the Match: There is no doubt. Shubman Gill for his magnificent, series-defining 168 in the second innings. It was an innings of technique, temperament, and sheer class.

Player of the Series: A tough one. Jasprit Bumrah gets the nod for his 18 wickets in the series, including crucial, match-turning spells.

As the Indian team gathers for the trophy lift, the shiny Freedom Trophy gleaming under the Johannesburg sun, one can’t help but reflect on the journey. This was a victory built on resilience. From the collapse in the first innings to the Bavuma century, India was tested repeatedly. But they found heroes at every turn: Gill’s leadership and epic knock, Rahul’s twin pillars of strength, Kohli’s first-innings fifty, Bumrah’s relentless spells, and Jadeja’s vital contributions.

They have broken a 33-year-old jinx. They have won a Test series in South Africa. The images of the team hoisting the trophy, with the South African mountains in the background, will be etched in memory forever. This wasn’t just a cricket match; it was a saga. And for Indian cricket, it was the day they finally climbed their Everest.

india vs south africa match