India effected a dramatic turnaround by taking three wickets for five runs in the last hour to reduce South Africa to 269 for six at stumps on the opening day of the second Test here.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin snared three crucial wickets as the visitors fought back after the duo of Hashim Amla (82) and Aiden Markram (94) batted resolutely.
At the end of day’s play, captain Faf du Plessis was unbeaten on 24 runs (77 balls, 3 fours) while Keshav Maharaj was batting on 10.
On a day when the Indian pacers failed to make much of a dent on an easy-paced wicket, Aswhin (3/90) emerged as the most successful bowler as he dismissed Markram (94), Dean Elgar (31) and Quinton de Kock (0).
The hosts were going strong with Amla (82) anchoring the Proteas innings after Markram, playing on his home ground, missed out on a well-deserved century by a whisker.
However, two run-outs and a wicket by Ashwin within 13 balls saw South Africa slump from 246/3 to 251/6 as India sought to wrest control of the match while somewhat masking a couple of questionable selections in the playing XI.
Post tea, Amla and AB de Villiers (20) took their third- wicket partnership to 51 runs. South Africa crossed 200 in the 64th over, but not before losing de Villiers as he played on off Ishant Sharma (1-32), who got just reward for his toiling spells.
Amla then put on 47 runs with du Plessis, and in doing so, scored his 36th Test half-century off 99 balls. It looked to be a dominant day for the hosts before a mini-collapse came by.
First, in the 81st over, Amla was run-out against the run of play, getting mixed up with du Plessis as he set off for a single but Hardik Pandya (0-37) found the target on the non- striker’s end off his bowling.
Two balls later, Ashwin dismissed Quinton de Kock for a golden duck, caught at slip. Vernon Philander (0) was then run-out on the last ball of the 83rd over as he set off for a run even as du Plessis called no from the non-striker’s end.
India took the new ball in the 87th over, but South Africa managed to avoid any further damage.
Earlier, Aiden Markram scored 94 runs as South Africa reached 182/2 at tea. The opener faced 150 balls and hit 15 fours.