NAGPUR: Off-spinner Simon Harmer took four wickets while paceman Morne Morkel bagged three as South Africa skittled India for 215 in the first innings on the opening day of the third test on Wednesday.

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• Morkel strikes to peg back India in third test

The visitors, however, surrendered some of the advantage and lost opener Stiaan van Zyl for a duck to off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and nightwatchman Imran Tahir (four) to Ravindra Jadeja to slump to 11-2 at stumps.

Dean Elgar (seven) and captain Hashim Amla (nought) were unbeaten at the crease with South Africa, who trail the four-test series 1-0, still 204 runs behind.

India captain Virat Kohli had no hesitation in opting to bat first after winning the toss at the VCA Stadium with the pitch expected to assist the slow bowlers.

But strikes from Morkel and Harmer, who returned to the side after playing the opening test in Mohali, eroded most of the advantage the hosts thought they had by batting first.

Jadeja (34) and Wriddhiman Saha (32) then combined in a crucial 48-run stand to ensure the hosts had a competitive total in what appears to be a low-scoring match after India were reduced to 125-6 at one stage.

Morkel, leading the South African pace attack in absence of injured team mate Dale Steyn, beat Kohli (22) several times before inducing an edge from the right-hander which was pouched by wicketkeeper Dane Vilas.

Ajinkya Rahane (13) struggled throughout his stay at the crease and played an expansive drive off Morkel to be clean bowled.

Harmer sent back Cheteshwar Pujara (21) and Rohit Sharma (two), who was playing his first match in the series, before also dismissing Saha who was caught acrobatically by JP Duminy at short mid-wicket.

Both sides went in with an extra spinner for the match with India opting for leg-spinner Amit Mishra and South Africa adding Harmer to their line-up.