Tendulkar Stranded As South Africa Wrap Up Win

Tendulkar Stranded As South Africa Wrap Up Win

Jaydev Unadkat (foreground) leaves the crease and South Africa celebrate their victory at Centurion Park

©REUTERS/Mike Hutchings (SOUTH AFRICA - Tags: SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

South Africa 620-4 dec. (Kallis 201no) beat
India 136 & 459 by an innings. & 25 runs
First Test, Centurion Park
Scorecard

Sachin Tendulkar was left stranded unbeaten on 111 as India were bowled out for 459 in their second innings, crashing to an innings-and-25-run defeat to South Africa on the final day of the opening Test at Centurion Park.

Having fought valiantly on days three and four to get themselves within touching distance of making their hosts bat again, their challenge faded with a whimper on the final morning as they added just five runs for their remaining two wickets.

Tendulkar scored four of them to move from 107 to 111 having reached his 50th Test century late on day four before Shanthakumaran Sreesanth was caught by AB de Villiers off Morne Morkel for three and Jaydev Unadkat (1) was caught by Ashwell Prince as Dale Steyn picked up his fourth wicket of the innings.

In all, Tendulkar faced 241 balls, hitting 13 fours and a six while Steyn returned four for 105 with a brace of wickets apiece for Morkel and Paul Harris.

South Africa owed their strong position in the match to bowlers Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn, who took seven wickets on the opening day and then excellent batting from the top order when they replied on day two - Smith and Alviro Petersen also scoring half-centuries.

India's fightback began on day three when openers Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag stroked half-centuries after Jacques Kallis scored a maiden Test double-century and AB de Villiers smashed a century in 75 balls - the quickest by a South African - to set up the declaration.

Tendulkar, along with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who made 90, then batted for most of day four to keep India's slim hopes of saving the game alive.