India, Jan. 10 -- Two months ago, when SA20 marked 'India Day' at an event in Mumbai ahead of the league's fourth season, former South Africa captain Graeme Smith had expressed hope for a strong start for the Temba Bavuma-led Proteas in the then-upcoming Test series in India, beginning in Kolkata. South Africa had beaten India in a Test series at home only once before, during the 1999-2000 tour, a time when Smith was yet to make his international debut.

This time, however, Smith watched from afar as the reigning World Test Championship holders replicated that historic 2-0 margin. South Africa not only stunned India in the Kolkata opener, where Bavuma's gritty fifty stood out as the only half-century of the match, but also outplayed the h...