South Africa’s top order produced a string of cameos to guide the world champions to 247 for six with spinner Kuldeep Yadav leading India’s fightback on day one of the second and final Test in Guwahati on Saturday.

Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickleton combined in an opening stand of 82 to give the tourists the start they were looking for after skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss and elected to bat.

Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs then raised 84 runs for the third wicket even though both missed the fifty mark.

India managed to keep a check on the run rate but Senuran Muthusamy (25) and Kyle Verreynne (one) will return on Sunday with South Africa eyeing a 300-plus total.

“A bit disappointing in the end there,” Stubbs told the official broadcasters. “I think all of us in the top six got in and no ones really made that big one. “It [the pitch] wasn’t free-flowing. You felt comfortable, but the scoreboard wasn’t going anywhere.”

Due to the early sunrise and fast-fading light in northeast India, the normal refreshment order has been flipped for the match, scheduling the tea break ahead of lunch in the first-ever Test at Barsapara Cricket Stadium.

Having won the series opener inside three days on a spinning track in Kolkata, Bavuma elected to bat on a pitch that had a fair amount of grass coverage and no cracks from where the ball could kick up.

Markram (38) got a reprieve on four when Jasprit Bumrah drew an edge but KL Rahul floored the catch at slip.

India’s stand-in captain Rishabh Pant, leading the side in the absence of injured skipper Shubman Gill, introduced spin in the 14th over but Washington Sundar was unable to make an immediate impact.

Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep joined Sundar from the other end but the openers would still not be separated.

Pant then brought back Bumrah for one final over before the tea break and the decision paid off, Markram’s thick inside edge sending the ball crashing into his stumps.

Rickelton (35) could not press on after the tea break and fell caught behind to Kuldeep (3-48).

Bavuma (41) was compact in his defence, while Stubbs (49) used his feet well against the Indian spinners.

South Africa were cruising at 166-2 before India struck back with their spinners to halt the tourists’ progress in the final session.

Ravindra Jadeja broke through with his left-arm spin to dismiss in-form Bavuma, who scored the only fifty in the opener in Kolkata, after the batter chipped to mid-off.

Stubbs attempted to keep up the tempo as he hit Jadeja for a six but soon Kuldeep had him caught at slip and then sent back Wiaan Mulder (13) even as South Africa became the first team to breach the 200-mark in the two-Test series.

Armed with the second new ball, Mohammed Siraj cut short Tony de Zorzi’s knock of 28 in fading light.

India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said it was an “even day”.

“I think it was just good old-fashioned attritional Test cricket,” Ten Doeschate told reporters. “And I thought both sides accounted for themselves very well. I thought we stuck at it brilliantly. Just when the game was slipping away, a couple of times we managed to get a foothold back into the game.”

South Africa, who recently drew 1-1 in Pakistan, are chasing a first series win in India since Hansie Cronje’s team triumphed there in 2000.