India were blown away by South Africa in Nagpur. Take a look at how each player fared at the end of the first Test.

SOUTH AFRICA

Graeme Smith- 7

Alright, he was once again flummoxed by Zaheer Khan’s movement early on the first day but Smith led the team brilliantly albeit against an impaired Indian team. The left-handed opening batsman perished for six but manned his resources like a seasoned general, using Dale Steyn in short and effective spells.

Ashwell Prince- 4

The southpaw was unfortunate to depart the way he did. Prince did not glove a nasty short one from Zaheer but was adjudged caught behind by the umpire. The opener for a moment thought about a referral but was reminded by his skipper at the other end that the system was not even in place for the series!

Hashim Amla- 10

He could have done nothing wrong since he walked out to bat at six for two. Amla negated the new ball attack from Zaheer Khan and set down to score his highest in Test cricket. The unbeaten 253 was a phenomenal effort and gave the Proteas just the dose they needed after two early wickets had spurred India- well almost.

Jacques Kallis- 10

What do you say about this man? An injury he had picked up on the eve of the Test series against England prevented Smith from using Kallis too frequently as a bowler but the right-handed veteran showed just why he is one of the best batsmen in modern day cricket. His 173 was a mixed bag of supreme concentration and calculated aggression.

AB deVilliers- 7

South Africa had all but batted India out of the Test by the time AB came in to bat but he needed to push the run rate a little and he did just that. An 88-ball 53 added to India’s frustrations and provided a reality check- this team would be hard to beat, if not impossible.

JP Duminy- 4

JP has been going through a rough patch and it showed when he walked to the crease. Despite South Africa sitting pretty at 454 for four, the southpaw struggled against an average Indian attack, scraping to nine off 35 balls.

Mark Boucher- 8

More than the 39 runs and the three dismissals he effected, Boucher needs to be hailed for his courage on the penultimate day. He had hurt his back towards the end of the third day and deVilliers had taken over with the gloves. However, the senior pro would not have missed out on the action for anything and donned the wicketkeeper’s role.

Dale Steyn- 10

He blew them away. Much like his spell in Ahmedabad two years back, Steyn worked up sheer pace and pressed into action his lethal outswingers in India’s first innings to finish with career best figures of seven for 51. The right-arm express lived up to his world number one ranking alright. Sensational stuff.

Wayne Parnell- 7

The left arm seamer is the youngest member in the South African team but no less dangerous than his colleagues. Parnell was an able foil for Steyn and Morne Morkel in both innings and picked up wickets whenever his captain wanted him to. Missing Makhaya Ntini, anyone?

Morne Morkel- 6

He may not have taken too many wickets in either innings but Morkel softened up the Indian top order even as Steyn went on a rampage with his speed. The lanky pacer shut the doors for the hosts, sealing all opportunities for them to breathe.

Paul Harris- 8

Forget the number of wickets he took. Think about the impact he had- Harris picked up Dhoni in the both the innings and Tendulkar in the second to break a crucial partnership- a partnership that had shown Indian a ray of hope. The Proteas gave India a share of their own medicine as the left-arm spinner got it to spin and bounce.

Gautam Gambhir- 4

The world’s best Test had had a dream run in the lead up to the first Test against South Africa but scores of 12 and one put India under pressure, more so without Dravid and Laxman in the middle order.

Virender Sehwag- 8

A brilliant 18th Test hundred from Sehwag did not really help India’s cause but gave the hosts some hope after two early blows. However, as the Delhi mauler is wont, he played shots that he could have done without.

Murali Vijay- 5

Fitting into Rahul Dravid’s shoes was never going to be easy but Vijay lacked in application. The right-handed Tamil Nadu opener has done everytime he has been called upon to execute a role but failed to capitalise on his opportunity this time, a 32 in the second innings notwithstanding.

Sachin Tendulkar- 8

After a disappointing first innings effort, the Master set down to anchor India’s second innings and in the process cracked his 46th Test hundred- third in succession. However, Tendulkar perished moments after reaching 100, ruining even a semblance of hope India had of staging a fightback.

S Badrinath- 6

Badri did his cause no harm by scoring a solid half-century on debut but given the circumstances that surrounded India in Nagpur, that was never going to be easy. He failed to live up to his early promise in the second innings, when it mattered more than ever before.

MS Dhoni- 4

Never before has the Indian skipper looked so lost and helpless. Dhoni was no doubt missing Dravid and Laxman in the middle order but he would have been more let down by his bowlers, who allowed the Proteas to get away to a massive total after Zaheer had them in early trouble.

Wriddhiman Saha- 4

Drafted into the playing XI at the last moment, one felt sorry for what Saha had to go through. The Bengal wicketkeeper batsman was playing as a specialist batsman and suffered a duck in his first innings for India. However, a solid 36 in the second innings sent out some message to the team management.

Harbhajan Singh- 5

The Indian off-spinner showed poor form once again in Nagpur and despite his two wickets; Bhajji left a lot to be desired. He did show some sparks with the bat, belting Paul Harris for a massive six but was that going to suffice? Never!

Zaheer Khan- 6

Zak has been in enthralling form for a while now and put the Proteas under pressure when he pocketed Smith and Prince to reduce the visitors to six for two. Though Zaheer tried to show some fight with the bat, a lose shot off Kallis left fans at the ground wondering what exactly such a senior member in the team was thinking about.

Ishant Sharma- 4

If Ishant thought he had fought his way back to form with a few wickets against Bangladesh, he needs to think again. The Delhi pacer lacked sting and looked listless even with the new ball.

Amit Mishra- 4

More than a year after Anil Kumble’s retirement, India are still looking for a leggie to complement Harbhajan and Mishra has been inconsistent to boot. A wicketless effort in Nagpur may not do well for his immediate prospects.