South Africa handed India a 135-run thrashing in the 1st One-Day International in Durban, dominating proceedings.

South Africa were restricted to 289 for nine before they hit back to dismiss India for just 154 as Lonwabo Tsotsobe took four for 31.

From a seemingly impregnable 213 for three, the hosts lost wickets at regular intervals to reach 289 for nine in their allotted 50 overs after skipper Graeme Smith won the toss and elected to bat first on a beautiful day.

Smith (11) was the first man to be dismissed playing across the line in a bid to clear the mid on to get a top edge as Rohit Sharma took a sitter off left-armer Ashish Nehra running backwards at first slip.

Colin Ingram (5) got one high on the bat as Nehra pouched a simple catch to give Munaf Patel his first wicket of the match, ending a 51-run partnership with Hashim Amla.

Amla took Ashish Nehra for three consecutive boundaries as South Africa looked to score briskly in the first power play. Amla (50) soon fell trying to force the pace as he failed to clear Harbhajan Singh at mid-on off Patel to leave South Africa 82 for 3 as the Proteas lost two important wickets for 21 runs in the second power play.

AB de Villiers hoisted Harbhajan Singh for a straight six to shift the gears for South Africa, as the hosts were 138 for three in the 26th over. South Africa took the third batting power play as Patel was brought back to replace off-spinner Harbhajan.

De Villiers completed his 25th ODI half-century off a reverse sweep and then pulled in style to deep mid on to notch up the hundred run partnership with left-hander JP Duminy, who registered his 10th half-century.

Rohit Sharma struck, as de Villiers (76) holed out to Harbhajan at deep square leg attempting to hit a six while, David Miller (9) was deceived by part-timer Suresh Raina’s spinning ball which hit the off stump and South Africa were 226 for five.

Rohit Sharma again got India a lucky break as JP Duminy (73) was dislodged playing an ambitious reverse sweep and South Africa were in a spot of bother at 244 for six.

Johan Botha (23), Dale Steyn (7) and Morne Morkel (0) perished quickly as they bid to enhance the scoring rate. Left-armer Zaheer Khan and pace man Patel picked up two wickets as did Sharma.

In reply, India lost openers Murali Vijay (1) and Sachin Tendulkar (7) cheaply, the former trapped in front by Steyn and the latter caught by Steyn off Tsotsobe and the pattern was set for the rest of the innings.

Virat Kohli resisted with 54 in 70 balls but South Africa kept in complete control as wickets tumbled at the other end.

Morkel struck twice to remove Rohit Sharma (11) and Yuvraj Singh (2) as India's middle-order failed dramatically in the face of excellent South African bowling.

Kohli fell having hit two fours and a six when he was caught by Smith off Steyn and thereafter only Mahendra Singh Dhoni (25) and Suresh Raina (32) reached double figures, merely delaying the inevitable.

Dhoni was run out while Raina was caught by Ingram off Tsotsobe before the lower order offered little resistance with Harbhajan (0), Zaheer (6) and Nehra (1) hardly hanging around as India's innings was completed in just 35.4 overs.

The 2nd ODI at Johannesburg on 15th January...