Well, Kallis did NOT stay too long after lunch. Another victim of Sreesanth. This boy has done well...and it may just be because his hero Alan Donald helped out a bit...

Anyhow, after Kallis left, AB de Villiers joined Prince and looked good. In fact, he looked the best of the SA batsmen in this test. A needless run-out (they all are, aren't they?) and De Villliers was sent back to the pavilion. Boucher and Prince survived the last hour of the day and face the impossible task of batting out 2 days to save the test. (or win it...) Hey, Mike Atherton once batted out a day to save the English at the Wanderers, right?

Will the infamous Highveld weather have a role to play in robbing the Indians of what will be a famous victory? Hardly likely.

Although thunder activity is forecast for today, clear skies is the prediction for Day 5. Besides, play may not even exceed lunch today.

Overnight score: SA 163/5.

164/6

Third over of the day and Boucher is gone. LBW to Zaheer. Pollock joins Prince at the crease.

End is nigh...

Pollock, after a blistering 40 falls to Kumble. Bowled.

SA now 7 down and Prince batting with the tail. Prince into the 80's. Lets see if the tail can stick it out long enough for him to get a century...

239/7.

shame - 97. but still really pleased for the guy.

and polly too btw - gotta love 'im.

i never wanted to be the bore i am about this issue but it sometimes reeally grates. Have you ever read andrew miller's opening sentence in his Jaques Rudolph description on cricinfo... """With an unbeaten 222 in his debut Test innings, Jacques Rudolph vindicated those who believed that he had been a victim of reverse discrimination in South Afrian cricket. """" (and i DO like Rudolph's cricket)

who was the undeserving beneficiary of his loss? - obviously a rhetorical question - but to add to his folly let me ask another rhetorical question.

who does his, you know who (the guy with a climbing average), top scoring in two innings (best innings in the match) vindicate? FFS - when will it stop!

Nice one India - Series on!!! I like!

What a turn-around for the books! After a horrible ODI series, just about EVERYONE were writing them off... But:

India win their first test in South Africa by 123 runs.

Well deserved if I do say so myself. Proteas were totally outplayed in this test.

yeah - and now a cricket competition to look forward to over the holidays (NZ/SL also interesting)!!!

It will stop when people start accepting that non-white cricketers are making the Protea side because they ARE GOOD ENOUGH. Period.

that'd be nice - on another not too dissimilar note (maybe should be for the SA board) - dropping boucher, giving the gloves to de villiers would open up a space for rudolph, who is a deserving candidate.???

personally i don't like it - i really like boucher - he seems one of the few genuine fighters. but his average doesn't really compare with de villiers.

actually - i'll copy this on to the SA thread about boucher

Post-match presentation:

Smith says India performed much better than the SAfricans. He says the Proteas will take their lessons from this game into the second test in Durban. (that's what a losing captain always say...)

Rahul Dravid says he's proud of the team.

MOM Sree Sreesanth. He says he's very proud of his performance. Says he will be dancing!

And the post-mortems have already begun...