Nagpur: Stumps on Day 3 of the 1st Test and India end on 66/2, trail by 259-runs in the 2nd innings after Proteas enforce follow-on on Monday at VCA, Nagpur.

It was a brilliant day for South Africa in the field, they bagged 12 Indian wickets with Steyn producing his career best figures.

Following on, India lost both their openers cheaply with Morkel and Steyn striking back again and the home side are now trailing by 259 runs. Tendulkar (15*) and Vijay (27*) did play cautiously and sensibly after that.

Earlier, Fast bowler Dale Steyn blew India away with a career-best seven for 51 to allow South Africa to force the follow-on on the third day of opening test on Monday.

Steyn took five wickets for just three runs in a dramatic spell just after tea on the third day to bowl out India for 233 in their first innings, despite a fighting century by Virender Sehwag.

The tourists, with a lead of 325 after making 558-6 declared, decided to make India bat again and look in a very strong position to take a 1-0 lead into second and final test in Kolkata.

Steyn struck twice early on when he dismissed Murali Vijay for four and Sachin Tendulkar for seven to put India on the backfoot after Morne Morkel had removed opener Gautam Gambhir, who failed to add to his overnight score of 12.

Sehwag recorded his 18th test century and Subramaniam Badrinath hit a fifty on his first test appearance to guide India, who had resumed on 25 without loss, to 221 for four at tea.

India then lost their last six wickets for the addition of just 12 runs with left-arm spinner Paul Harris triggering the collapse when he had Mahendra Singh Dhoni caught at slip for six.

Steyn then struck again in a devastating spell that brought back memories of his 2008 assault in Ahmedabad, when he took five wickets to bowl India out for 76 and set up a South Africa win.

The world's top ranked bowler recorded his 13th five-wicket test haul as he fired out Badrinath (56), debutant Wriddhiman Saha (0), Zaheer Khan (2) Amit Mishra (0) and Harbhajan Singh for eight.

Brief scores
South Africa: 558 for 6 (Amla 253*, Kallis 173, Zaheer 3-96)
India: 233 (Sehwag 109, Steyn 7-52) and 66 for 2
Status: India trail by 259-runs