we let ourselves down in the first innings with the bat- Smith

South Africa captain Graeme Smith admits his side's first innings collapse gave India the upper hand during the second Test in Kolkata.

The Proteas fell to an innings and 58-run loss at Eden Gardens on the final day of the Test as India squared the series at 1-1, and Smith believes his side's dismal session on the first evening left them chasing the game.
Outplayed

"It would have been terrific had we pulled it off," said Smith.



"Just a couple of Tests ago we had England holding out twice after being nine down, but credit should go to Dhoni and his team.

"They were thoroughly professional throughout the five days here and they outplayed us in pretty much every department.

"We needed to be precise, but we let ourselves down in the first innings with the bat.

"We should have closed out the game there, but we put ourselves under a lot of pressure and then dropped a lot of catches."

Despite his disappointment, Smith insists his side ended the drawn Test series with their heads held high.

"Batting on day five in India is always a tough challenge and we knew it was going to be tough as challenges go," said Smith.

"But we told ourselves this morning we would rather have it in our hands rather than with someone else.

"We had the opportunity to bat through today and we had seven guys who were up for the occasion.

"Each guy really gave it their shot and that's all you can ask."

Praise

Smith reserved special praise for South Africa stalwart Hashim Amla, who excelled with the bat throughout the series and ended on an average 494 after being dismissed only once in three innings.

"Amla has been outstanding throughout the series, he has been the glue in our line-up and he deserves all the accolades that comes his way," said Smith.

"He's been through some tough times and he is now really making it count and is now getting to be an integral part of our team and a great joy to have."