Session-by-session: Day four

South Africa celebrate on Tuesday.

Morning Session
In most other circumstances, 96 runs for two wickets would represent a shared session. But South Africa were already so far ahead in this match that two wickets was an excellent return, especially given their failure to find much reverse swing.

Without it, patience was always going to be the name of the game and so the dismissal of Murali Vijay was an absolute gift. Paul Harris' ploy of bowling at the rough well outside leg stump was largely unthreatening, but its innocuous nature led to a moment of complacency as Vijay swept straight down the throat of Morne Morkel at a wide-ish fine leg. There was a hint of top edge in the shot, but that wasn't even because the ball had come out of the rough.

After seeing out the opening half hour that was criminal, and equally poor was the shot Subramaniam Badrinath got out to. His penchant for the one-day game was clear as he tried to guide Wayne Parnell down to third man - a stroke not suited to the Test arena. Although Parnell can be expensive at times, he showed his worth with a spell of round-the-wicket bowling which resulted in Badrinath nicking off to Mark Boucher.

All the while Sachin Tendulkar provided endless enjoyment for the thousands of school children. While he'd played defensively late on Monday, this morning he came out with plenty of intent and was particularly good in the way he cut away through backward point. You felt at the start of the session that his contribution today would be key, but that will only be the case if he can find someone to stay with him. Mahendra Dhoni hasn't suggested that he's the man for the job so far, and with a deficit of 163 runs still to be overcome, things are not looking good for India.

Verdict: India 0, South Africa 1

Afternoon Session
Two more wickets, which again represented a good return for South Africa given the conditions. This time there was some reverse swing but Steyn was unable to capitalise as he looked a touch jaded after his efforts yesterday.

Dhoni looked more assured after the break, even if his footwork was still on the lazy side. For the most part he relied on superb hand-eye co-ordination to counter the swing available, although it was more in a defensive sense as he looked to bat time. Meanwhile Tendulkar continued on his merry way, only really getting a touch stuck when he was on 99 and Parnell was bowling at full throttle.

The problem for India in this match is that neither of their centurions have gone on to score big hundreds. Virender Sehwag was out shortly after reaching three figures in the first innings, and Tendulkar followed suit today. Just six deliveries after reaching his hundred - an event followed by the usual fanfare around the ground - he played Harris on in dramatic fashion.

There had been long spells of tedium as Harris maintained his line outside leg stump, but when it eventually leads to a couple of wickets it's difficult to criticise the tactic. On this occasion the ball rolled up Tendulkar's pad as he missed the sweep, then deflected off his arm onto leg stump. Harris collapsed on the side of the pitch, hardly able to believe the events.

His dismissal of Dhoni was somewhat more conventional. The India captain had padded up outside leg stump over after over, but Harris then straightened up and Dhoni got a thin edge onto his pad to give AB de Villiers a straightforward catch at silly mid-off. Those two wickets had come just as clouds had started to gather, but now all concern had dissipated for South Africa. They could even afford to fall foul of the umpire shortly before the Dhoni dismissal, as Steve Davis gave Wriddhiman Saha not out after the ball had deflected off his pad and onto his bat before De Villiers took a diving catch. The words being mouthed by Harris as he stood at mid-on in the next over were less than complimentary.

Verdict: India 0, South Africa 1

Overall: India 2, South Africa 9

Tristan Holme in Nagpur