It may or may not eventually be recognised as an official Test, but India certainly treated it like one. In true Test-match fashion, the middle order threw it away. It seemed, in the morning, that India had finally figured out that the best way to deal with the new ball was to see it off, as if it was a visiting in-law. If patience is a virtue, the Indians were saintly before lunch. There were more maidens than one would find in a girls' hostel, as only 44 runs accrued off 29 overs, for the inevitable loss of Connor Williams.

After lunch, the Indians, perhaps surprised to find themselves so resolute, shifted gear. Dravid fell to a harsh decision, and the floodgates opened. Tendulkar and Das hit some delightful strokes until Das threw it away with one extravagant shot too many, failing yet again to capitalise on a start. Tendulkar followed shortly after, and Laxman, after regaling the crowd with some breathtaking strokes, smashed a bad ball straight to gully. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary, at www.m-w.com, provides audio pronunciation of words if the user so desires. For a visual demonstration of the word "irresponsible", they would do well to show a clip of Laxman's dismissal.

What was especially shocking was that India had entered this match with only five specialist batsmen, after Ganguly had backed out with a back spasm and the management had decided to keep Sehwag out, since they were treating this as an official Test. It had been speculated that the crisis would bring the Indians together, and they would play with a new resolve. So what if there were only five batters, those five would be motivated enough to perform. But they were as lackadaisical as ever; like a good camera in the hands of a child, they lacked focus, and the result could only disappoint.

Or could it? In the post-tea session the Indians gathered themselves up, as the tail, which had refused to budge in early matches, wagged determinedly. Anil Kumble batted through the session, seeing India from 107 for 5 to 221 for 8. It has been said of Kumble that he has under-performed with the bat throughout his career, but here, as in the first innings at Port Elizabeth, he showed what he could do if he just put his head down.

Keeping him company, adding 51 runs for the sixth wicket, was the man who should have opened for India, and who surely will again in the near future. Deep Dasgupta was the revelation of the second Test, saving the match for India with a gutsy performance on the last day. In a team with so many invertebrates, he showed spine, and gutsed out the new ball each time he was asked to face it. He oozed assurance today, and played some lovely strokes to boot. India has found its wicketkeeper-batsman – Ajay Ratra must wait.

Harbhajan provided some comic relief, with some hilarious improvisations, but how he got his runs didn't matter one bit. He made more than four of the top five did, and that says a lot for both them and him.

The irony of India's shaky batting was that South Africa's bowling was extremely ordinary. Pollock was the only man who bowled with any degree of accuracy, but he was not his usual lethal self. Hayward was wayward, Ntini, Kallis and Klusener were pedestrian, as indeed they have been throughout this series. Pollock even gave Nicky Boje a bowl, as if to contradict the growing suspicion that Boje is in the team as a specialist No. 9 batsman. And still the Indians wilted.

Amit Varma is assistant editor, Wisden.com India.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd