JOHANNESBURG, Dec 15: Jacques Kallis said his changed role in the South African team helped him take important wickets on the first day of the first Test against India on Friday.

Kallis dismissed Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar to send India, who won the toss and chose to bat, to stumps on 156 for five.

“We went through a stage where we had a lot of attacking bowlers in the side and my role was to hold up an end and keep the scoring rate down,” Kallis told a news conference.

“Now I can afford to be a little bit more aggressive and attacking.”

Kallis said the pitch offered assistance to the seam bowlers.

“There was a bit in the wicket, if you put the ball in the right areas you could let the rest take care of itself,” he said.

South Africa's pace attack weakened when fast bowler Dale Steyn left the field with a recurrence of a thigh strain after bowling 10.1 overs.—Reuters