NAGPUR (India): South Africa were eyeing victory after Dale Steyn picked a career-best 7-51 to trigger a dramatic India collapse on the third day of the first Test on Monday.

The right-arm quick bowler polished off the last six India wickets for 12 runs in 7.4 overs after tea to bundle them out for 233 and help the visitors enforce the follow-on at the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium in Nagpur.

Following on, India were tottering at 66-2, trailing South Africa by 259 runs on the first innings with eight wickets in hand.

Murali Vijay was batting on 27 with Sachin Tendulkar on 15 when stumps were drawn for the day.

Steyn struck again in India's second innings, sending back Virender Sehwag for 16 while Morne Morkel pegged back the off-stump of the other opener, Gautam Gambhir (one).

India's slide began with the dismissal of skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (six) in the first over after tea.

Subramaniam Badrinath's resistance in his first Test appearance was cut short in the next over when he chipped Steyn straight to short mid-wicket. His 56-run innings came off 139 balls and included seven fours.

The other debutant, Wriddhiman Saha was out off the first ball he faced from Steyn. Zaheer Khan and Amit Mishra played on to their stumps before Harbhajan Singh was trapped lbw, giving Steyn his 13th five-wicket haul in 37 Tests.

Agencies