By Pranav Soneji

Dale Steyn tore through India's batting with a devastating spell

India were dismissed for a paltry 76 as South Africa dominated a dramatic first day of the second Test in Ahmedabad.

The tourists took just 20 overs to rip through India, with Dale Steyn (5-23) and Makhaya Ntini (3-18) leading the onslaught on a green-tinged wicket.

Only Mahendra Dhoni (14) and Irfan Pathan (21 not out) managed double figures, with extras adding 19 runs.

South Africa finished the day on 223-4, with Jacques Kallis (60) and AB de Villers (59) unbeaten at the crease.

Spinner Harbhajan Singh was the pick of India's lacklustre bowlers, finishing with figures of 3-49 on a day of complete contrast to the rich pickings on offer in the first Test in Chennai a week ago.

The Motera Stadium strip had been under close scrutiny in the build-up to the match, with groundsman Dhiraj Parsana under pressure to produce a sporting wicket after the flat-track debacle at MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Three of the last four Tests in Ahmedabad have been drawn, but those matches were played in late October to December, not the searing April Gujarat heat.

But despite being greeted with a wicket which looked to suit the faster bowlers, India captain Anil Kumble opted to bat first after winning the toss, a decision which suited his counterpart Graeme Smith.

And his fast bowlers responded magnificently with a superb display of control, dismissing India for their second-lowest ever home total - albeit aided by poor judgement from India's star-studded batting order.

Wasim Jaffer was the first wicket to fall on 16, edging a slanting Ntini delivery to Smith, who took a superb diving catch to his left at first slip.

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And first Test triple centurion Virender Sehwag followed eight runs later, playing on to a delivery well outside off stump from Steyn.

And Ntini soon ripped through VVS Laxman (0) and Sourav Ganguly (3) to leave India reeling at 30-4.

With the tourists in total ascendency, Rahul Dravid and Dhoni were greeted with the ominous task of saving India's innings from ruination.

Dravid languished for 51 minutes for his three runs before he was comprehensively bowled by the delivery of the day from Steyn, pitching on middle and clipping off stump.

With the last of India's recognised specialist batsmen in the pavilion, Dhoni should have curbed his instincts to construct a circumspect innings with all-rounder Pathan.

Instead the wicket-keeper flailed at a wide delivery from Morne Morkel and edged into the grateful gloves of Mark Boucher.

And the innings went from bad to embarrassing as Kumble followed two balls later, inside-edging a rising Morkel delivery onto his stumps, and Harbhajan was trapped leg before by Steyn.

A few lusty blows from Pathan helped India crawl past their lowest total of 66 against South Africa in Durban in 1996 - but only just as Steyn wrapped up proceedings in just 109 minutes, removing RP Singh and Sree Santh.

AB de Villiers struck his 59 from 102 balls in the late sunshine

The tourists began confidently as Smith and first Test centurion Neil McKenzie tore into the Indian attack, playing with judgement and common sense which was so badly lacking in the home side's innings.

The openers had their share of fortune - McKenzie was fortunate to survive a confident lbw shout from RP Singh, while Ganguly failed to grasp a sharp chance offered by Smith at short-leg off Santh.

And it was Santh who made the breakthrough, trapping Smith for 34 in front from a ball which appeared to have pitched just outside of leg stump.

McKenzie's promising innings was cut short on 42 before tea when he edged Harbhajan to Dravid at slip to give India an incentive before the break.

And the off-spinner soon removed Hashim Amla for 16 as South Africa tottered nervously on 101-3.

But Kallis soon found his stride, punching front-foot drives through cover and lofting Harbhajan over his lead for a massive six.

Although he saw Ashwell Prince trapped leg before by a ball that straightened up from Harbhajan, Kallis found plenty of assistance from number six De Villiers, who compiled a 106-run partnership in the late evening sunshine with a flurry of superb off-side strokes.

It was De Villiers' 14th half-century in Tests and the 24-year-old's prospects of converting his score in his fifth ton significantly improved on an increasingly flattening and batsman-friendly pitch.

South Africa's five-wicket star Dale Steyn:
"I was surprised (India batted first). I haven't played too much in the subcontinent, especially in India, (but) I've never seen a pitch like this, with so much grass.

"Maybe it played more into our hands. From what I read in the papers there was a bit of an argument between the curator and the captain of the Indians. They probably didn't get what they wanted.

"If they didn't get what they wanted then you have to ask the question: 'why did they bat first?' If you always thought it was going to be green then maybe you made the wrong decision."

India's Harbhajan Singh:
"It was one of the worst days I have seen in my 10 years of international cricket.

"I can't really say much on what went wrong. Everything went wrong basically.

"We need to take the blame. We didn't apply ourselves. You can't really complain about the wickets as whatever wicket we get we have to play on it."