JOHANNESBURG (Reuters):
A maiden five-wicket haul by fast bowler Shantakumaran Sreesanth led to South Africa being dismissed for 84 and put India firmly in control of the first Test yesterday.
South Africa, replying to India's first innings of 249, were skittled for their lowest total against India. Their previous lowest score against India was 105 in Ahmedabad in 1996-97.
With 20 wickets tumbling on the second day the visitors reached the close on 146 for five in their second innings, a lead of 311.
The display would have come as a huge relief to the Indians after they were whitewashed 4-0 by South Africa in the one-day series.
The only silver lining for South Africa came when Shaun Pollock become the first South African to claim 400 Test wickets.
The seamer went into the match with 395 wickets and after picking up four wickets in India's first innings, he reached the landmark with the prized scalp of Indian captain Rahul Dravid (1) in the second innings.
Saurav Ganguly had earlier justified his recall to the national side following an 11-month exile with a gritty half-century in the first innings.
Former captain Ganguly, who was making his Test comeback after being dropped following the Pakistan series in January, top scored for India with 51 not out.
Spectacular catch
Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini struck the first blow when Pollock pulled off a spectacular diving catch to dismiss Mahendra Singh Dhoni for five.
Ganguly struggled to find support until he was joined by number 11 Vikram Singh after India had slumped to 205 for nine.
The last pair added 44 off 35 balls in a bright partnership in which the free-hitting Singh smashed six fours in his 29.
Sreesanth put India into the driving seat by maintaining a probing length and found movement off the seam to take five for 40 from 10 overs.
With four batsmen failing to add any runs, Ashwell Prince top scored for South Africa with 24 as their innings lasted just 25.1 overs.
Prince and Andre Nel (21) added 39 for the eighth wicket, the most lucrative partnership of the innings.
Pace generated
Captain Graeme Smith (5), Hashim Amla (0), Jacques Kallis (12), Mark Boucher (5), Pollock (5) all failed to handle the pace generated by Sreesanth.
South Africa suffered their first setback with the 12th ball Smith was trapped in front with a delivery from Sreesanth that straightened after pitching.
Four balls later Herschelle Gibbs edged a drive off left-arm fast bowler Zaheer Khan and was well caught by Virender Sehwag in the gully for nought.
South Africa crashed to five for three in the fourth over when Sreesanth found the edge of Amla's bat and had him caught by Vangipurappu Laxman at second slip.
