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Kanpur: India's teenaged paceman Ishant Sharma and spinner Harbhajan Singh grabbed three wickets each to help bowl out South Africa for 265 on the first day of the third and final test on Friday.
The tall Sharma took three for 55 to make an impact on his injury comeback and off spinner Harbhajan took three for 52 to lead the spin attack after skipper Anil Kumble was ruled out due to injury.
South Africa skipper Graeme Smith gave his side a superb start after he won a crucial toss on a dry Green Park pitch which aided spin from the word go.
However, a batting slump after lunch saw the tourists fold at stumps as India ran through the innings after tea, claiming the last six wickets for 66 runs.
Smith top-scored with 69 and added 61 runs with fellow opener Neil McKenzie (36) and put on 91 runs for the next wicket with Hashim Amla, who made 51.
Both fell in succession followed by key batsman Jacques Kallis (one), for the addition of just nine runs, after they were coasting at 152 for one.
Kumble was ruled out due to a groin injury and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who became the first Indian 'keeper to lead in tests, rotated the bowlers and used part-time spinners Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag to chip away at the innings.
South African batsmen increasingly found the going tough on a dusty surface after their innings and 90-run win in three days on a green pitch in the second test at Ahmedabad.
Opener Neil McKenzie (36), who hit 155 in the drawn first test in Chennai, was the first to go, a victim of 19-year-old leg spinner Piyush Chawla, playing in his second test in place of Kumble.
McKenzie paid the price for needless aggression when he was stumped off Chawla's fifth delivery after Dhoni had brought on Harbhajan in the ninth over of the day.
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