Kolkata, Nov. 17 -- India have been beaten at their own game. Again. This time against the world Test champions, in a manner not so different from the embarrassment meted out at home by New Zealand last year. There was no magical resurfacing of Shubman Gill, meaning India had to chase 124 on a tricky surface with effectively four specialist batters. Add the cover of three allrounders in Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel and it becomes even more difficult to justify this capitulation. Failing to chase 147 at Wankhede last year, and now this - these can't be coincidences. The inexperience is palpable, but how about showing some accountability, if not some heart? Temba Bavuma did so for over two hours while most of the South Africa batters were bent on shooting themselves in the foot. Starting the day with a lead of 63 and just three wickets in hand, Bavuma found his back to the wall. Corbin Bosch however displayed a match-altering tenacity, scoring 25, adding 44 runs with his skipper and slowly taking the game away from India's grip. Pulling Jasprit Bumrah out of the attack after just four overs wasn't probably a good idea. He conceded only 10, but more importantly had just got rid of Bosch, undoing his defence with a ball that nipped back from length to crash into his stumps. But Pant gave him only one more over before going to spin from both ends. That was the trend with other bowlers as well. Starting with two similar spinners in Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel backfired till Pant went for a double change by bringing on Kuldeep Yadav and Bumrah, only to pull out the left arm wrist spinner after just three overs. At no time throughout the morning did Kuldeep and Jadeja - India's most successful pair in the first innings - bowl in tandem, neither was Jadeja as effective bowling over the wicket. Washington Sundar wasn't even given an over. Bavuma was the calm in this madness, nudging the ball through gaps, playing very close to his body and adding runs that were making India increasingly anxious. Pant, standing in for the injured Gill, went to Mohammed Siraj, and he obliged with the wicket of Simon Harmer, who shouldered arms to a ball that shaped in to shatter off-stump. Two balls later, Keshav Maharaj was yorked by a reverse swinging delivery, leaving Bavuma unbeaten on 55 but with South African hopes raised for eking out a narrow win. Marco Jansen increased those chances with a superb length ball that nipped in to take the edge off Yashasvi Jaiswal. What stunned Eden Gardens into deafening silence though was a bouncer Jansen unleashed on KL Rahul, making the ball rear on him and get an edge before Rahul could drop his hands. Washington tried his best, looking determined to get to the pitch of the ball with a solid defence. But Dhruv Jurel's patience gave in when off-spinner Harmer bowled a long hop with a fielder in the deep. The ball stopped on him, but Jurel anyway went with the pull to send the ball down Bosch's throat. This is where India started losing the plot with irresponsible shots. We have been overfed by the narrative that Pant is backed to play his game irrespective of the scenario. But in a Test where he led in the absence of Gill, could there have been a better opportunity to stir a buzzing Eden and his teammates with an encore of Gabba? Pant let that chance slip away though, getting out in the tamest possible way by offering a return catch to Harmer. India's batting was immature, but South Africa's bowling was effective too. In Harmer were glimpses of Graeme Swann in 2012 - tall, making the turn a lot while keeping the trajectory high. "He has good control in terms of his pace. He's able to put revs on it, you'll see, in terms of the seam. And he's quite smart, you know," said Bavuma later. India were lacking on that front. Case in point was Jadeja, who after adding 26 runs with Washington, again walked into the trap of defending with the bat tucked behind pad. Markram's introduction was the final roll of dice from South Africa, and he was straightaway on the money like Glenn Philips for New Zealand last year. Washington was at the other end this time, lured into a delivery that landed on off and straightened, taking an edge that Harmer caught at first slip. Kuldeep showed heart but it was down to Axar Patel to keep his cool and plot the chase at 77/7. However, he chose to risk it all against left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj. It paid off for four balls - slog-sweeping the first for four, the next for six, slicing him through point no run before muscling it over long-on for another six. He mishit the fifth ball though, spearing it into the sky, but Bavuma tailed it calmly to complete a sublime catch and end India's hopes....