South Africa made steady progress for much of the day but lost four wickets in the final session to concede the advantage as they reached 247 for six by the close of play on the first day of the second test against India at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on Saturday morning.
Tristan Stubbs grafted his way to a top score of 49 from 112 balls before pushing hard at a googly from wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav (3-48) and edging to KL Rahul at slip while captain Temba Bavuma (41) and Wiaan Mulder (13) were both caught at mid off attempting to hit over the top of the infield.
Openers Aiden Markram (38) and Ryan Rickelton (35) also made solid starts, adding 82 for the first wicket before both departed on that score either side of lunch, but the tourists have a long batting lineup and, with Senuran Muthusamy to resume on 25* in the company of Kyle Verreynne (1*), they may still make the large total which seemed likely when they reached 166 for two.
Bavuma pulled and drove Mohammad Siraj for consecutive boundaries while Stubbs danced down the pitch to drive Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja for straight sixes while collecting four fours with cover drives and a pull against the impressive Jasprit Bumrah.
But it was largely attritional cricket for most of the day, with South Africa desperate to capitalise on winning the toss on a pitch expected to deteriorate rapidly as the match progressed.
Markram and Rickelton displayed accomplished defensive technique against Kuldeep and offspinner Washington Sundar, having survived the opening spells from fast bowlers Bumrah and Siraj.
Markram was given a life on just four when KL Rahul dropped a regulation catch at second slip off Bumrah, but it was the only blemish of an otherwise perfect morning session for the tourists until Markram was bowled by Bumrah two deliveries before the break.
Rickelton drove Siraj for consecutive boundaries and India appeared destined for a wicketless morning session until Bumrah was reintroduced to the attack for the final over and produced a beauty which Markram edged onto his stumps to depart for 38 from 81 balls with five fours.
INDIA FIGHT BACK
Rickelton edged Kuldeep to ‘keeper Rishabh Pant in the first over after tea having faced 82 balls, also with five fours, but Bavuma and Stubbs were happy to bide their time and took their third wicket partnership to 84 before the captain failed to execute his ‘up and over’ drive and departed after facing 92 balls, five of which went to the boundary including a cracking pull against Bumrah.
Mulder, batting at No 6, drove two boundaries in an over from Siraj and looked in fine, early form before almost exactly emulating Bavuma’s dismissal.
Tony de Zorzi (28) was in determined mood, pulling Kuldeep for six over midwicket and collecting a couple of fours from 59 deliveries in between lengthy periods of studious defence, but edged the persevering Siraj to ‘keeper Rishabh Pant shortly before the close as India surged back into the contest.
Play began at 9:00am local time with the 20-minute ‘tea’ break coming after the first session and the 40-minute lunch break after the second session to maximise the limited daylight in the east of the country at this time of year.
The home side replaced injured captain, Shubman Gill, with Sai Sudharsan in their starting XI and dropped left arm spinner Axar Patel for seam bowling allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy.
South Africa made one change to the starting XI, which stunned the home side with a 30-run victory in the first test at Eden Gardens in Kolkata last week when they defended a fourth innings target of 124 by bowling India out for just 93 in the fourth innings.
Fast bowling allrounder, Corbin Bosch, was replaced by left arm spinner Muthusamy.
INDIA: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant (captain/wkt), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj
SOUTH AFRICA: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (captain), Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Marco Jansen, Senuran Muthusamy, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj.