Ajinkya Rahane rescued India with a gutsy unbeaten 89, guiding the hosts to 231 for seven after off-spinner Dane Piedt made a memorable return to the South African side on the opening day of the fourth and final Test in New Delhi on Thursday.
India were reeling at 66-3, and then at 139-6, but Rahane, often unnoticed in the crowd of flashy strokeplayers around him, featured in two fifty-plus stands to help India post the highest total in the low-scoring four-match series.
Rahane's fourth wicket partnership with skipper Virat Kohli (44) yielded 70 runs, and was the best in the Indian innings.
Kohli's promising innings was cut short by a freak dismissal as India were left reeling at 139 for six at tea.
Kohli had raced to 44, his highest score in the series, and looked good but was dismissed by South Africa's most successful bowler -- off-spinner Piedt -- who had figures of four for 56 to show for his efforts.
Kohli struck seven boundaries in 62 balls, adding 70 runs with Ajinkya Rahane for the fourth wicket.
But it will certainly be Rohit Sharma (1), whose irresponsible shot selection will be talked about for a long time to come.
Having been dropped at slip on 0 by Hashim Amla off Kyle Abbott's bowling, Rohit decided to give Piedt the charge by lofting a flighted delivery but only to be caught by the fielder stationed at long on for that exact shot.
Wriddhiman Saha (1) was done in by a sharp inswinger from Abbott (two 21).
Earlier, Morne Morkel and Abbott bowled with a lot of discipline, allowing only 14 runs in the first 10 overs.
Having restricted the run flow during the first session, the Proteas bowlers attacked in the post lunch session as they dismissed Dhawan (33) and Pujara (14) in quick succession to reduce the hosts to 66 for three.
It was Piedt again who bowled an off-break that caught Dhawan not lunging fully forward and offering his pad to be adjudged plumb in-front.
Dhawan's 33 came off 85 balls with four boundaries to his credit.
It was a sedate start by the Indian openers as Vijay and Dhawan scoreing just 29 runs in the first 15 overs. The typical slow nature of the Kotla track prevented the openers from making free-flowing strokeplay.
It was Piedt who drew first blood by dismissing opener Murali Vijay (12).
The spinner also struck early in the second session, trapping Dhawan leg before.
Kohli also fell to Piedt, sweeping the spinner straight into the body of Temba Bavuma at short leg.
The ball ballooned up after hitting the evading fielder on his thigh and wicketkeeper Dane Vilas sprinted from behind the stumps before diving full stretch to take the catch.
Rohit Sharma got a reprieve when Amla dropped him at slip but the batsman could not add to that scratchy single and hoicked the first ball of the next over from Piedt to Imran Tahir at long on.
