Ahmedabad, Apr 3: India's much-vaunted batting line-up was blown away for an embarrassing 76 well inside the first session and their spineless capitulation allowed South Africa take the driver's seat in the second cricket Test here today.

After Indian captain Anil Kumble won the toss and decided to bat first, the Sardar Patel Stadium at Motera witnessed an abject batting surrender as the hosts were shot out for a dismal 76 runs in just 20 overs well inside lunch with only Irfan Pathan (21 not out) and MS Dhoni (14) managing double-digit scores on day one of the Test.

Dale Steyn (5-23) and Makhaya Ntini (3-18) breathed fire on a wicket that had a tinge of green on it but certainly no demons to justify the stunning batting collapse.

In their reply, South Africa overcame Harbhajan Singh's three-wicket burst to finish the day at a comfortable 223 for 4 to take a 147-run first innings lead.