Dean Elgar was the unlikely bowling hero for South Africa as he sent India’s batting reeling on the opening day of the first Test in Mohali on Thursday.
The part-time left-arm spinner, who had managed just six wickets in 17 previous Tests, grabbed four for 22 runs as India struggled to 168-7 by tea at the I.S. Bindra stadium.
Opener Murali Vijay was the lone top-order batsman to offer resistance, making 75 before he was sixth out, leg-before while trying to sweep off-spinner Simon Harmer.
Ravindra Jadeja was unbeaten on 26 and Ravichandran Ashwin was on four at the break.
South Africa showed why they are the number one Test side as they claimed three wickets in the morning session after India won the toss and gained the advantage of batting first on an unreliable, dry pitch.
The first wicket fell before a run had been scored when Shikhar Dhawan hung his bat out to a swinging ball from Vernon Philander and edged a catch to skipper Hashim Amla at first slip.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Vijay retrieved the situation with a 63-run partnership for the second wicket when Elgar stepped up with the ball and, an over later, with a low catch to make it 65-3.
Elgar, essentially an opening batsman, trapped Pujara leg-before for 31 with his fourth delivery when he was summoned by Amla to bowl the 22nd over.
Four balls later, Elgar dived in the covers to remove Indian captain Virat Kohli for one on his 27th birthday — also giving debutant fast bowler Kagiso Rabada his first Test wicket.
India, who went to lunch at 82-3, were set back once again by Elgar who took two wickets off successive deliveries spread over two overs to reduce the hosts to 102-5.
Both Ajinkya Rahane (15) and Wriddhiman Saha (0) were snapped up by Amla in the slips, but Ravindra Jadeja denied Elgar a hat-trick by defending the next ball.
Elgar claimed his fourth wicket when Amit Mishra holed out to Dale Steyn in the deep, soon after Vijay was dismissed.
India went in with three spinners and two fast bowlers on a dry pitch that is expected to break up as the match progresses.
The Proteas were without the injured Morne Morkel for the first match in the four-Test series, allowing 20-year-old Rabada to make his debut.
Rabada joined Steyn and Philander in a three-man pace attack, supported by two specialist spinners in leg-spinner Imran Tahir and Harmer.