So a Test series victory at last! So what if was achieved against a weakened South African side. A Test win is a Test win at the end of the day. The Kolkata triumph should be credited to the team as a whole, although Harbhajan ran through the South African batting line up single-handedly in the second innings.

Irfan Pathan and Zaheer Khan made crucial contributions in the first innings with their three-wicket hauls, while Sourav Ganguly too played his part with the ball, getting rid of centurion Jacques Kallis, which went a long way in restricting South Africa's first innings total.

On the batting front, though nobody got a century, almost everyone chipped in with important contributions. Sehwag once again gave the side a whirlwind start. But his mode of dismissal in both innings should be a cause for concern. He will have to work hard on his ability to cope with the short ball. In today's day and age, when technology is easily available, it will only be a matter of time before most teams would have worked out Sehwag's vulnerability against short-pitched bowling. His dismissal apart, Sehwag's first-innings knock was vital in the context of the game, which set India up nicely for a huge total.

It was nice to see Tendulkar get some runs in the second innings. But a few technical flaws have crept into his game too. Getting clean bowled in consecutive innings off not-so-great deliveries doesn't augur well for him and India. Stats will reveal that his percentages of lbws and bowleds have risen drastically in the last couple of years. But being such a great player, one can expect Sachin to sort out his minor deficiencies.

Rahul Dravid's performance in this Test is sure to have gladdened the hearts of all Indian supporters. Still not completely on top of his game, Dravid is slowly but surely regaining his touch. The hallmark of a great batsman is his ability to score even when not in the best of nick. Dravid proved to everyone why he is rated so highly, with his gutsy efforts in both knocks.

After notching up a lead of 106, a huge one on this wicket which was offering sufficient turn and bounce to the spinners on day four and five, it was up to Harbhajan and Kumble to pick up the gauntlet and see to it that their batsmen did not have to score too many in the fourth innings. But things did not turn out to be as easy as many thought. The Proteas under the inspired Graeme Smith began very well and put the Indians under a bit of pressure. However, the inexperienced batsmen who followed found it very difficult to cope with the vicious turn generated by the Indian duo. Except for Smith and Kallis, none of the others could hold his own against Harbhajan and Kumble. In the end, the visitors folded up for a reasonable 222 and the Indians had enough firepower to cruise to victory.

South Africa virtually lost the match on the second day when they couldn't capitalise on the good work done on day one. After ending the first day on an impressive 227/5, they had every opportunity to post a total of 400. But they kept losing wickets at regular intervals and folded up way short of their desired total. Jacques Kallis was the lone ranger for the South Africans with a superlative 121. He couldn't get enough support from the other batsmen to help build an impressive total like they did at Kanpur. Looking back, the lead of 106, which was equivalent to 150 on this pitch, made all the difference.

The South Africans could have still made a comeback had they got a good spinner in their ranks who could exploit the conditions. Here's where they missed Nicky Boje, who was such a revelation on the previous tour. Justin Ontong did try his best, but it was too big a task for the part-time spinner who was in the team more for his batting abilities.
 

But the South Africans did not do any disgrace to themselves by their performances in both Tests. Managing a draw in the first Test was a commendable effort for a side not expected to create too many hiccups for the home team. The visitors should be reasonably pleased with their performance here especially after the Sri Lankan debacle not so long ago.
 

For the Indians, this victory should act as a catalyst to scale new heights in the future. Apart from their cricket, there are a few other issues the Indians have to work on before the Bangladesh tour. For the skipper, it is important that he keeps himself under control and doesn't overreact too much. Being the leader, it is up to him to set a good example for the youngsters. Thus he has to be a bit more dignified on the field with his actions. True, the Kallis appeal did not go India's way. But these things are part and parcel of cricket and Ganguly has been around long enough to understand this. 

For a team as a whole, it is important they are selective with their appealing. Unnecessary questions put to the umpires every second ball will only cost the Indian players their credibility in the minds of the 'Men in White'. And then, more decisions like the Kallis one would go against India for which they will have only themselves to blame for. India's next assignment is against Bangladesh, probably the weakest team in the world. But Ganguly and his men should not take things too lightly. The last time they toured Bangladesh for the inaugural Test in 2000-01, the debutants amassed more than 400 runs in their first innings courtesy some lacklustre bowling. This time though, India's bowling is much stronger, and unless they get very overconfident, the Bangladesh tour should be a cakewalk.