R Ashwin's five-for puts India in command

India's spinners, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, put their side in command of the third Test match against South Africa by restricting their opponents to just 79 runs, their lowest total against India in Tests on Thursday.

South Africa struggled at 11 for two at the end of day one; and India's spinners further compounded their woes in the first session of day two.

Ashwin - with one-overnight wicket to his tally- bowled the first over of the day. He comprehensively beat opener Dean Elgar with the first four balls. Elgar, then, tried to cut loose off the fifth ball, which was short and wide, but he miscued his cut shot, that took the edge and rattled the stumps.

The dismissal brought AB de Villiers to the crease and the tourists hoped that he and Hashim Amla would bail their side out of trouble. But they were wrong as Ashwin accounted for Amla, as he tried to sweep Ashwin, but he edged the ball to Ajinkya Rahane in the slips.

South Africa's nightmarish start continued as Jadeja then induced a leading edge from de Villiers, who tried to work a short ball to the leg side. The tourists stood at 12 for five at that stage.

Despite JP Duminy getting a start, South Africa's batsmen never recovered. Ashwin claimed the wickets of Simon Harmer and Morne Morkel to finish with five wickets. He now has 13 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket. South Africa were bowled out for just 79 runs in 33.1 overs, still 136 runs adrift from India's first-innings total.

India's batsmen managed 173 runs in their second innings, thus setting the opposition a target of 309. Ashwin and Amit Misra picked up one-wicket each - in the second innings - to restrict South Africa to just 32 runs at stumps on day two.