Close India 232 and 261 lost to South Africa 566 for 8 dec by an innings and 75 runs
Scorecard

It took South Africa just ten minutes after lunch to seal victory in this unofficial Test. The eventual margin of victory - an innings and 75 runs - was an accurate reflection of the huge gulf between these two sides, not so much in talent but in determination and application.

It was appropriate too that Deep Dasgupta was the last man to go. He was one of the few Indians to emerge with credit from a disastrous performance. Jacques Kallis got him lbw with a delivery that seamed back and caught him on the crease in front of the stumps. With Venkatesh Prasad wearing a neck brace and Javagal Srinath nursing a broken finger in the pavilion, the South Africans were free to pick up the stumps as souvenirs.

On this showing, you wonder why India are bothering to try and have this match recognised as official by ICC. Pathetic is a mild word to describe India's performances in South Africa.

It took the inexperienced duo of Dasgupta and Harbhajan Singh to show the more illustrious batsmen how to go about things with a cameo partnership before lunch.

Harbhajan took poor Nicky Boje apart with four boundaries in one over. He swept him past midwicket four twice, cut him past point and then paddle swept to fine-leg to leave Boje red-faced. Dasgupta played some lovely shots too, a back foot cover drive off Shaun Pollock and another off occasional leg-spinner Jacques Rudolph the standouts. When the South Africans took the new ball, Dasgupta guided Kallis to the third man fence and Harbhajan repeated the shot against Nantie Hayward. On the stroke of lunch, the association was broken as Harbhajan gloved a leg-side bouncer from Hayward through to Mark Boucher.

India's frontline batsmen had earlier flattered to deceive. Rahul Dravid stroked Hayward through the covers thrice to start the day but was then bowled by a leg-cutter as he looked for the flick past midwicket. Sachin Tendulkar played a bizarre innings, interspersing some classical strokes with some wild flashes outside his off stump. He was gifted a chance by Gary Kirsten – the easiest catch he'll ever get - after he fended off a lifter from Kallis to gully. There were a couple of streaky shots over slip too, one evading Pollock's fingers by a whisker.

Not that it mattered as Makhaya Ntini came on to make the vital breakthrough. Bowling from well wide of the crease, he angled the ball sharply back into Tendulkar. The master shouldered arms and looked back to see his off stump disturbed. VVS Laxman played a superb square cut off Lance Klusener but also got runs courtesy a couple of edges to third man. When he fell, it was almost a carbon copy of the first innings dismissal. Ntini pitched it outside off stump and Laxman cut it powerfully but straight to Herschelle Gibbs at point.

Anil Kumble twice edged Pollock through slips for boundaries but third time proved distinctly unlucky as Boje snaffled him at first slip. Plenty of high-octane action from the Indian batsmen as they raced to another crushing defeat.

The rain saved India at Port Elizabeth but even yesterday's showers couldn't bail them out here. As ever, there were some individual performances to savour for sure, but ultimately it was another pasting on foreign soil – and another report card to be marked "Just not good enough".

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