PTI 
   
 
BENONI, Nov 17: India had a nightmarish start to their tour of South Africa as they suffered a stinging 37-run loss in the one-day warmup game on Thursday.

India's bowling and batting came apart at the seams in spectacular fashion against South Africa 'A' - a bunch from whom only a couple have a realistic chance of playing in the World Cup.

After allowing the hosts to get off the hook and post a challenging 255 for eight, the tourists themselves pulled the plank from under their feet to be 82 for six by the 23rd over, and were eventually all out for 218 in 49.1 overs.

The final margin might appear closer but it was because South Africa pressed in service some irregular bowlers.

The only positives from the match were the strong statements made by comeback seniors Anil Kumble (2-31) and Zaheer Khan (3-43) with the ball and captain Rahul Dravid's stubborn 79.

The first of five one-day internationals is to be played on Sunday at Johannesburg.

The Indians failed to deliver the killer punch in the South African innings after Kumble and Zaheer had helped them take a strong grip of the match. The final five overs leaked 68 runs and 96 came  from the last 10, allowing South Africa 'A' to recover from 116 for six.

And with openers Wasim Jaffer and Sachin Tendulkar falling for only five runs each and the middle order of Suresh Raina and Dinesh Mongia departing for blobs, India were never in the contest despite Dravid being non-displaceable at the other end.

Fast bowler Dale Steyn did his one-day chances no harm with a haul of five for 22, his blistering pace and hostility proving too hot for the Indians. Since he bowled 10 extras, he actually conceded only 12 runs to Indians' bat.

Dravid kept one end going for 79 runs for 99 balls but most of these runs came against the lesser bowlers in the attack.

Among other batsmen, only Mohammad Kaif (30) and Irfan Pathan (34) showed some intent of staying put with their captain, the latter backing it up with a good performance up front with the ball and figures of one for 38 from his nine overs.

Nothing went right for India who suffered a setback even before the first ball was bowled.

Vice-captain and opener Virender Sehwag was ruled out of the match after suffering a cut in the middle finger during practice before the start.

Zaheer and Kumble then triggered a middle order collapse but half-centuries from Jacques Rudolph and Albie Morkel got the South Africans out of the hole.

Rudolph hammered a thunderous 72 not out that came from 53 balls and contained seven fours and two sixes.

The left-hander added 96 runs for the crucial seventh wicket with Morkel who made an equally pugnacious 57 with five fours and three sixes.

Thanks to the duo's brilliant counter-attack, South Africa 'A' rebounded from losing three wickets in the space of six balls after being placed at 114 for three at one stage.

Kumble took his two wickets off successive balls from the quota of 10 overs bowled in one spell while Zaheer struck when the hosts were just threatening to lay a strong base.

The form of these two returning seniors eased the creases on the foreheads of Indians who were rattled by a strong base the fourth wicket pair of Neil McKenzie (47) and Ashwell Prince (31) were building for their team.

Prince, a regular in South Africa's Test eleven, lofted one in the covers in order to prop up the falling run-rate and then Kumble snared two off successive deliveries.

It briefly allowed the visitors a hold on the proceedings before Rudolph and Morkel put them to sword.

The two paced themselves brilliantly before exploding in the final stretch, Morkel in particular, who smashed 19 runs in Munaf Patel's eighth over, the 46th of the innings.

Morkel finally left at 212 in the 47th over, hoiking one in the air from Zaheer Khan to long on. Rudolph, if anything, was more impressive in cracking 72 from 53 balls with seven fours and two sixes.

India began with Pathan and Patel in their attack, the latter making an early impression with the scalp of Morne van Wyk (7), the top scorer in one-day competition of South Africa with 588 runs from 11 innings. But the pacer from Ikhar was virtually taken to cleaners in the final overs.

No different was the fate of Sreesanth who was caned for 62 from his 10 overs, the final one of the innings costing 21 runs.

Steyn was the bowling hero for the hosts as he accounted for Tendulkar and Jaffer in the space of three deliveries and then took the scalps of Mahendra Singh Dhoni (7) and Suresh Raina in his second spell.

Tendulkar essayed a hard cut straight to point while Jaffer edged one into the hands of second slip. Dhoni was frozen and pinned on his backfoot by a straight, sharp delivery and Raina was bounced out, the first delivery aimed at his rib cage which the left-hander duly popped up in the hands of forward short leg.

The local bowlers were clearly intent to let the Indians gain no sort of confidence.