Just when the Sun was setting down, India bite the dust, comprehensively beaten by South Africa with still a day to spare in the first Test at Nagpur on Tuesday.

The Nagpur wicket was predicted to help the spinners in the later part of the game but one man swiped off all the theories and notions with utter disdain and an excellent exhibition of fast bowling. Dale Steyn arguably was South Africa’s pick, accounting for 10 Indian wickets in the match. His 7-wicket haul was decisive in swinging the match completely in skipper Greame Smith’s favour.

Tottering and struggling at 162/4 at lunch in their second innings, the Indians simply wilted under pressure even though they managed to stretch the game till the fag-end of the day. Like Virender Sehwag in the first innings, Sachin Tendulkar’s 46th century in Tests provided the only solace in the second outing.

With this defeat, India lost its No.1 spot to South Africa. Dhoni’s men really need to pull up their socks in the second Test at Kolkata if at all they want to win back the pride by squaring the series there. With injuries haunting, it is also a wake-up call for the selectors to come out with a better composition of the team for the second Test. Incidentally, this is the first ever Test defeat in 12 matches for M S Dhoni as a captain