Gibbs, Kirsten stick to the script

South Africa bludgeoned India into dazed submission on Wednesday night, beating them by 10 wickets as their openers put on an unbeaten stand of 168, that after having bowled India out for 164 earlier in the afternoon.

The names "Gibbs" and "Kirsten" are beginning to look rather solid together, as though they are yoked in self-evident and completely natural partnership.

Poor starts for the two have been the exception rather than the norm on this tour, and on Wednesday they decided not to depart from the script as they catapulted the South African reply to a hundred and beyond, seeing off the Indian opening bowlers, Javagal Srinath and Agit Agarkar, the spinners, Anil Kumble and Sunil Joshi, and even taking a liking to the dobbly teasers of the cunning Sachin Tendulkar.

Kirsten was his usual sensible self, but Gibbs was at times aristocratically dismissive.

He played some deft paddles and glides off Joshi as well as banging one lofted drive over wide mid-on for six, bringing up the fifty in the eighth over off the same bowler. Though never easy on the eye, Kirsten's innings wasn't half bad.

He slid a beautifully controlled late cut wide of Rahul Dravid's left hand off Agarkar for four early on and generally behaved as though he had other, more pressing, engagements elsewhere in the gulf.

Gibbs, remarkably, was only 13 shy of his hundred at the end, with Kirsten not out on a thoroughly deserved 71. It was a good day's work for South Africa, and put the burden of needing a win squarely on India's shoulders when they take on Pakistan on Thursday.

The Indian innings started poorly, entered a period of minor consolidation with Saurav Ganguly and Dravid at the wicket, then stumbled and eventually fell (losing four wickets through the eighties) before regaining its balance to finally post 164.

The tenth wicket partnership, that between Ajay Jadeja and Srinath, proved to be an almighty nuisance as they kept the South African seamers out and even kept Nicky Boje at bay, this until Boje finally got Srinath for a breezy 30.

Aside from the frustrations of the final Indian partnership it was a highly commendable South African bowling performance.

Both Shaun Pollock, who bowled Sachin Tendulkar (5) through the gate early on, and Jacques Kallis appeared to have benefited from their rest at Nagpur on Sunday. They were well supported by Makhaya Ntini (10-2-36-3) and Steve Elworthy (10-3-17-3), who ripped the heart out of the Indian innings after Pollock had removed Tendulkar and Jacques Kallis had cemented the early breakthrough by taking care of Ganguly (27), well caught by Boje above his head at deep mid-on, and Dravid, whom he bowled for eight.

Ntini was the more expensive of the two but he probably looked the more dangerous, accounting for Sunil Joshi (24), promoted up the order, Mohammed Azharuddin (7), who fell to a regulation outside edge, and Agit Agarkar (1), who was bowled.

Northerns paceman Elworthy took care of Robin Singh (1), Saba Karim (0) and caught and bowled Anil Kumble (8) before Jadeja (not out on 43 at the end) and Srinath contrived to prolong that which had seemed destined for an early end beyond the point where South Africans were smiling.

However, the way Hansie Cronje and Graham Ford po-faced it through the press conference suggested that the win was India's, not theirs.

Eagerness for the conference to be quickly over aside - wives and girlfriends are in town after all - Cronje did make the point that it was good for the bowlers to get some wickets under their belt, particularly as he had on many occasions bemoaned his lack of "firepower" in India.

"It was important, particularly from a bowling point of view, for our bowlers to get a bit of confidence," said Cronje.

Cronje went on to compliment both Elworthy, the man of the match, and Ntini, for their performances.

His opposite number, Ganguly, put the loss down to simply having had a bad day. "We're just trying to put this behind us," said the Indian captain.