Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn shared seven wickets as the Proteas' quick men sent India's top-ranked Test team reeling on a lively SuperSport Park pitch juiced up further by earlier rain.
Sachin Tendulkar led the Indians with 36, and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was 33 not out at stumps. But Steyn and Morkel were dominant on the bowler-friendly surface as South Africa took the early advantage in the three-match series between Test cricket's top teams.
Rain had delayed play by four-and-a-half hours before South Africa won a crucial toss and put India in to bat on a green-top pitch that offered pace, bounce and swing - and was perfectly suited to South Africa's attack.
Morkel took 4-20 in 12.1 hostile overs and Steyn had 3-34 as the home team made good its promise to Test India's batsman - and its No. 1 ranking - with aggressive fast bowling in helpful home conditions.
“It's a huge statement,” the 1.96-meter (6-foot-5) Morkel said. “We wanted to lay the first blow, the first punch. It sends the message that we're here and we're not going to step back.
“We enjoyed that for the first day, and I think the wicket is going to get even quicker with some more sun tomorrow.” India, with seven victories and two draws in its last nine series, struggled to 55-3 in 20 overs by the tea break, with only Tendulkar looking anywhere near comfortable.
The visitors then lost six wickets for 81 runs in 18.1 overs in the second session as the No. 2 ranked Proteas turned the screw.
Dhoni and 19-year-old debutant Jaidev Unadkat (1 not out) were hanging on at the crease at stumps.
Earlier, overnight rain had continued into the morning at SuperSport Park leaving the pitch under heavy covering and a protective tent. But the weather cleared at lunchtime, and South Africa's plan worked perfectly when skipper Graeme Smith called the coin toss correctly and backed his pace attack.
“I was lying in bed at 12 (o'clock) and all of a sudden we're at the ground ... A great day,” Steyn said. “It's nice to see the ball swing and bounce. It wasn't like that in Dubai and Abu Dhabi (in the recent series vs. Pakistan).
It's nice to be back in South Africa.” Steyn struck an early psychological blow when the top-ranked Test bowler removed dangerous opener Virender Sehwag for a duck in the third over - caught by Hashim Amla at third man in an apparent planned tactic by Smith.
Fellow opener Gautam Gambhir appeared to glove a delivery from Morkel through to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher soon after while trying to evade a mean bouncer, but umpire Steve Davis turned down a strong appeal.
There is no Umpire Decision Referral System in use despite South Africa being in favor of its adoption for the series, because India opted against using it and both teams have to agree.
However, a fired-up Morkel hit back with two wickets in two overs after swapping ends as India wilted to 27-3.
The left-handed Gambhir edged a full-pitched ball for a low two-handed catch by Paul Harris at first slip. Gambhir faced 43 balls and batted for over an hour for just 5 runs.
Morkel trapped Rahul Dravid lbw 10 balls later for 14 with a surprise low delivery that caught the experienced batsman on the back foot.
Tendulkar looked to play India out of trouble with two fours in three balls off Lonwabo Tsotsobe just before tea, the leading Test run-scorer pulling a short one through mid-wicket and then cover-driving sublimely.
The bowlers' dominance had seen 101 run-less balls in a total of 123 deliveries in the delayed first session.
And a three-over burst shortly after tea put India in serious trouble as VVS Laxman, Tendulkar and Suresh Raina were blasted out by South Africa's quicks to leave India on 71-6 in 24.4 overs.
Steyn - who had softened up Laxman with short-pitched bowling before and after the tea break - sent a full, swinging delivery crashing into the right-hander's middle stump.
Steyn then beat Tendulkar with another pitched-up ball to have the Indian maestro clearly out lbw to claim his third wicket.
In between, Raina edged an away-swinger from allrounder Jacques Kallis to Ashwell Prince in the slips.
Boucher cleverly ran out Harbhajan - the only wicket not to come from quick bowling - after the Indian off spinner had begun a fight back with five boundaries in his 25-ball 27.
And Ishant Sharma and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth both fell to Morkel for ducks.
Dhoni hit two fours and a six, but soon gratefully accepted the offer from the umpires to go off for failing light.
