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New Delhi: Off-spinner Dane Piedt grabbed four key wickets as India stuttered to 231-7 at stump on the opening day of the fourth and final Test against South Africa on Thursday.
The 25-year-old Piedt, playing only his second Test and the first of the series, got rid of Murali Vijay (12) and his opening partner Shikhar Dhawan (33) on a track that provided inconsistent bounce to the bowlers.
Vijay was caught in the slips by captain Hashim Amla while Dhawan was adjudged lbw, the sharply turning ball hitting his front pad as he tried to defend.
Piedt (4-101) was a tad lucky to get the scalp of Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who top-scored with a breezy 44 off 62 balls with seven fours.
Kohli tried to play a sweep shot, but the ball hit Temba Bavuma fielding at short leg and ricocheted up in the air.
An alert Dane Vilas then leapt quickly from behind the stumps and dived forward on the pitch to catch the ball with his gloves.
Rohit Sharma (one) almost gifted Piedt his fourth wicket, tamely holing out to Imran Tahir near the long-on fence.
Recalled paceman Kyle Abbott chipped in with the wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara (14), Wriddhiman Saha (1) and Ravindra Jadeja (24).
Ajinkya Rahane was batting on 89 and R Ashwin not out on 6 at the umpire call early stump.
In smoggy conditions, the Indian openers started cautiously before losing two wickets in the space of seven balls immediately after lunch.
Dhawan, who has been struggling with form, faced 18 deliveries before getting off the mark. But after growing in confidence, he hit a couple of boundaries, including a pulled four to mid-wicket off Piedt.
Vijay, who has managed to get good starts in an otherwise low-scoring series, earned a reprieve on 10 when he edged a delivery from Abbott to AB de Villiers at second slip.
But the umpire signalled a no-ball and TV replays confirmed the delivery was not legitimate.
Leg-spinner Tahir struggled, being whacked for a six by Pujara.
India picked paceman Umesh Yadav in place of leg-spinner Amit Mishra in the only change from the side that won last week's Test in Nagpur to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
The top-ranked tourists brought in Bavuma, Abbott and Piedt in place of Stiaan van Zyl, Kagiso Rabada and Simon Harmer.
Brief scores
India - 231 for 7 (Rahane 89*, Piedt 4-101, Abbott 3-23)
