Nagpur: Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja struck early blows to leave South Africa reeling at 11/2 at stumps on the opening day of the third Test here today.
After India were bowled out for 215, Ashwin took the new ball along with Ishant Sharma. The tall off spinner removed Stiaan van Zyl for the fourth time in the series. The South African opener fell for a duck when he was caught at slip by Ajinkya Rahane.
The visitors sent out a nightwatchman in Imran Tahir but the ploy failed as Jadeja castled him for four.
Dean Elgar was unbeaten on 7 while skipper Hashim Amla was yet to score when play ended for the day.
South Africa dismiss India for modest 215
Nagpur: South African bowlers Simon Harmer and Morne Morkel took seven wickets between them to dismiss hosts India for a modest 215 on the opening day of the third Test here today.
Resuming at 149/6 at tea, Ravindra Jadeja boosted India's score with a few lusty blows before he was bowled by paceman Kagiso Rabada for 34.
Wicket keeper Wriddhiman Saha's long vigil at the crease eventually came to an end when he fell to a brilliant catch by JP Duminy off Harmer for 32.
Spinners Harmer and Imran Tahir then mopped up the tail. Harmer finished with 4/78 while Morkel took 3/35.
Morkel's triple blow leaves India struggling at tea
Nagpur: South African pacer Morne Morkel's three-wicket burst wrecked India and the hosts were reduced to 149 for 6 in their first innings at tea on the opening day of the third and penultimate cricket Test here today.
Opting to bat on winning the toss, India got off to a good start when openers Murali Vijay (40) and Shikhar Dhawan (12) put on their second successive half century stand of the series.
But the loss of both the batsmen in the second hour before lunch followed by a dramatic collapse after the break left the hosts, who are leading 1-0 in the series, at a difficult 125 for 6.
In the space of 15 overs after lunch, India lost four wickets for the addition of only 31 runs after being 95 for 2.
Morkel and off-spinner Simon Harmer did the most damage.
Wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha (9) and Ravindra Jadeja (21) then remained unconquered at the end of the second session in which the home team lost four wickets for 64 runs.
Jadeja played some attacking shots against the spinners in his 26-ball unbeaten knock that contained four fours, while Saha was giving him watchful support at the other end.
Morkel, lacking effective pace support at the other end in the absence of the injured Dale Steyn, was the most impressive of the bowlers and his tea figures read 3 for 27.
Harmer, mostly bowling from around the wicket, also utilised the spin-friendly track well to have 2 for 65 while Elgar, the other wicket taker, had figures of 1 for 7.
In the morning the home team lost Vijay and Dhawan to adjourn to the interval at 85 for 2.
Dhawan, denied strike for long, was lured out by Elgar soon after the 50 was raised in 13.4 overs and spooned a drive back to the left arm slow bowler who accepted a return catch to his right.
The left hander's 12 came off 23 balls and was his third low score in the series.
South Africa hit back strongly through Morkel in the first hour post lunch as the hosts lost Cheteshwar Pujara (21), captain Virat Kohli (22) and Ajinkya Rahane (13).
Morkel, who got rid of Vijay in the first session, added the wickets of Kohli and Rahane to his kitty in a fiery third spell of 4-2-8-2.
India reach 85/2 at lunch after losing openers
Nagpur: India lost both openers Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan but reached 85 for two at lunch on the opening day of the third cricket and penultimate cricket Test against South Africa at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha today.
On a wicket that already showed signs of offering significant turn, Dhawan fell for 12 after putting on a second successive half century partnership with Vijay (40) after India captain Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat.
Dhawan was taken out by left-arm spinner Dean Elgar after a 68-minute stay.
Vijay, who had made his debut at this ground seven years ago against Australia, was sent back by gangling pace bowler Mornel Morkel in his second spell after the duo had carried India through the first hour of play without being separated.
At the end of 27 overs in session one, Cheteshwar Pujara was on 18 off 30 balls and skipper Kohli on 11 off 26 balls.
Both had hit one four apiece.
Earlier, Vijay and Dhawan, who put on an unbeaten stand of 80 at Bengaluru before the Test was washed out, made a steady start against the South Africa pace duo of Morkel and Kagiso Rabada.
Morkel could not extract bounce or pace from the surface while Rabada too failed to trouble the Indian batsmen.
Vijay was hit on his arm guard once by Morkel with a short ball that did not rise before Dhawan glided the bowler to the third man fence with an angled shot for the first boundary of the match in the third over.
Dhawan swung Rabada to the long leg fence for his second four before Vijay opened up and pulled Morkel for his first boundary in the fifth over.
Kohli wins toss, India to bat against South Africa
Nagpur: India skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat against South Africa in the third Test at VCA Stadium, here on Wednesday.
Team India is a win away from spoiling South Africa's enviable nine-year overseas record of 10 Test series wins in 14 Rubbers.
Leading the four-Test series 1-0, a victory at Nagpur will also give Kohli his first Test series triumph as captain on home soil.
Teams:
India: Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma
South Africa: Stiaan van Zyl, Dean Elgar, Faf du Plessis, Hashim Amla(c), AB de Villiers, Jean-Paul Duminy, Dane Vilas(w), Kagiso Rabada, Simon Harmer, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir
