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Kolkata: Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh combined to rip through South Africa's middle order as India staged a dramatic late comeback to reduce the visitors to 266 fot 9 on the opening day of their second and final Test on Sunday.
It was a stunning collapse for the Proteas, who were at one stage cruising along courtesy fluent centuries by debutant Alviro Petersen (100) and Hashim Amla (114).
At stumps, Wayne Parnell (2) and Morne Morkel (3) were at the crease for South Africa when play was called off early due to bad light.
The South Africans went into tea break at 228-2 but in a stunning reversal of fortunes, the so-far-off-colour Harbhajan picked up three wickets in the space of two overs to wreck the visiting line-up.
The off-spinner ended the day with figures of 23-2-63-3. Pace spearhead Zaheer also picked up three wickets conceding 77 runs in his 21 overs
Ishant Sharma too struck form and though he had just one wicket to show, the pace he generated in the final session rattled the visiting batsmen.
Earlier, Petersen became the third South African to slam a hundred on debut, while last match's double centurion Amla continued from where he had left off, scoring his ninth Test ton.
For most part of the day, Indian bowling was made to look ordinary by Petersen and Amla as they combined for a 209-run second-wicket stand before the middle order collapse let them the visitors down.
After losing skipper Graeme Smith (4), who was castled by Zaheer, South Africa recovered brilliantly through the partnership between Amla and Petersen which came off 304 balls.
For two sessions, South Africa were firmly in command before Zaheer took the prized scalps of both Amla and Petersen soon after the tea break.
from there on, Harbhajan also got into the groove as he dismissed all-rounder Jacques Kallis (10). VVS Laxman, who had dropped Amla at slips when the batsman was on 60, made amends for his earlier blooper when he took a tumbling catch off Harbhajan to get rid of Kallis.
Laxman, who has just recovered from a finger injury, took a running catch from the slip to complete it at short fine leg in 66th over of the match.
Amla played a perfect ally to the rookie Petersen as the duo made Indian bowlers sweat before the turnaround after tea happened with South Africa losing seven wickets in 26 overs adding just 38 runs to the total.
Brief scores
South Africa: 266 for 9 (Amla 114, Petersen 100, Harbhajan Singh 3-66, Khan 3-77)
