For the first time in 18 months and 15 Test matches, the world’s number one side was on the wrong side of the result in a Test match, pummeled by an innings and six runs by nearest challengers South Africa at the VCA stadium on Tuesday.

There were few surprises in store on the penultimate day which began with India, 66 for two, needing 259 more to stave off only their third innings loss at home in 25 years. Tendulkar held the top together with century number 46 and the lower order showed spunk and gumption, but South Africa weren’t to be denied, bowling India out for 319 just before the scheduled close.

Fittingly, it was Dale Steyn who drove home the final nail with a screaming reverse that crashed through Amit Mishra’s defences. It was the paceman’s tenth wicket of the match, just reward for exceptional conventional and reverse swing bowling. Hashim Amla was the man of the match for his unconquered 253, but Steyn who loomed as the most influential figure, the principal difference between the teams already separated hugely by the dilution of massive experience in the Indian middle order.

Trailing by 325 on the first innings after being blown away by Steyn, India needed a miracle to get out of jail. Dented by the loss of Gautam Gambhir, supremely capable of batting out time, and Virender Sehwag on the third evening, the main point of interest was how long a severely wounded and scarred India would keep the Proteas on the park. To their credit, the home side didn’t keel in without a fight, their most experienced batsman playing his part in salvaging a modicum of pride.

Tendulkar (100, 275m, 179b, 13x4) came into this game on the back of centuries in both Tests against Bangladesh. Obviously rankled by his cheap dismissal in the first innings, the little man set about his task with refreshing positivity, unafraid to play his strokes against the pacers and refusing to let himself be frustrated by Paul Harris’ left-arm spin delivered from over the stumps and aimed at the rough outside the leg-stump.

To many, that is a negative line but Harris couldn’t care less. His isn’t an out-and-out attacking role in the South African attack. He is more the stock bowler who bottles one end up and picks up the odd wicket on less than responsive tracks by feeding on the batsman’s impatience. On tracks where the ball can misbehave from the rough, he is more than a handful, his craft invariably bringing him scalps through unorthodox and somewhat bizarre means. Murali Vijay was Harris’ first victim, top-edging a sweep down long-leg’s throat just past the half-hour stage after a stand of 72 with Tendulkar. S Badrinath failed to back up his first-innings half-century, undone by Wayne Parnell’s left-arm pace delivered from round the stumps, and at 122 for four, India were in danger of folding up meekly again.

Tendulkar, though, had other ideas. Fortunate to see Jacques Kallis put down a low, sharp chance at slip off Parnell when 45, the maestro didn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, moving along merrily without ever imposing himself on the bowling. He did play some exceptional strokes, none better than an on-the-up punch off the back foot that rocketed to the fence long before Steyn had completed his followthrough, and sweeping Harris at every possible opportunity. Having brought his second straight ton at his ground, he fell in unfortunate fashion, bowled off arm and pad trying to sweep the left-arm spinner, downcast and distraught as he trundled off the park. Wriddhiman Saha offered stubborn resistance, much like Mahendra Singh Dhoni – who suffered his first defeat in 12 Tests at the helm – earlier, while Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan provided late entertainment as India appeared primed to stave off an innings loss and push the game into day five. Graeme Smith recalled Steyn and it was all over in a flash, South Africa romping to their third innings win in India in the last ten years.

Score Board

SOUTH AFRICA (I Innings): 558/6 decl in 176 overs

INDIA (I Innings): 233 all out in 64.4 overs

INDIA (II Innings, O/n: 66/2):

Gambhir b Morkel    1
(6m, 3b)
Sehwag c Smith b Steyn     16
(25m, 19b, 4x4)
Vijay c Morkel b Harris     32
(135m, 90b, 4x4)
Tendulkar b Harris     100
(275m, 179b, 13x4)
Badrinath c Boucher b Parnell     6
(45m, 31b, 1x4)
Dhoni c De Villiers b Harris     25
(144m, 112b, 3x4)
Saha lbw Steyn     36
(150m, 101b, 4x4)
Harbhajan lbw Parnell     39
(46m, 39b, 6x4, 1x6)
Zaheer c Harris b Kallis     33
(64m, 57b, 4x4, 2x6)
Mishra b Steyn     0
(11m, 3b)
Ishant (not out)     0
(7m, 11b)
Extras (B-15, LB-8, W-6, NB-2)     31
Total (all out, 107.1 overs)     319
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Gambhir), 2-24 (Sehwag), 3-96 (Vijay), 4-122 (Badrinath), 5-192 (Tendulkar), 6-209 (Dhoni), 7-259 (Harbhajan), 8-318 (Zaheer), 9-318 (Saha).
Bowling: Steyn 18.1-1-57-3, Morne Morkel 21-6-65-1 (w-5, nb-1), Wayne Parnell 13-2-58-2, Paul Harris 38-17-76-3, Kallis 12-3-19-1, Duminy 5-0-21-0 (nb-1).