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After the demoralising defeats against Australia and India's aura of impregnability on home turf gone, a young South African side was bound to be a tough nut to crack.
After the demoralising defeats against Australia, came a side which was but a reflection of the formidable South African team that thrashed India at Kolkata in 1996.
Even so, with India's aura of impregnability on home turf gone and their middle order in a prolonged slump, the squad of well-prepared South African rookies gave them a run for their money.
Probably Rahul Dravid put it the best possible way after a drawn series against New Zealand in 2003: teams are increasingly coming to the subcontinent prepared for every aspect of the challenge.
They come prepared to encounter slow, low pitches that take sharp turn. As Michael Clarke and even Zander de Bruyn showed, there was a new breed of visiting cricketer unafraid of taking on the slow bowlers.
With experienced campaigners like Damien Martyn and Jacques Kallis — who are aided by quick feet, soft hands and composure to blot out the baying crowds — they formed an instant winning combination.
