Test or Twenty20? Indian batsmen can't decide

New Delhi: Indian cricket is yo-yoing like never before. After the recent high in Chennai, the team seems to have hit a new low.

On the first day of the second Test against South Africa at Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera (Ahmedabad), India's famed batting line up collapsed like a pack of cards to be bowled out for just 76 runs in 20 overs. It's the second lowest score at home.

After bowling out India before the lunch break, South Africa took firm control of the match and ended Day I on 223-4 for a lead of 147 runs.

In the morning, India skipper Anil Kumble decided to give his batsmen, who were supposed to be in top form, the chance to bat first on a pitch that had a bit of green tinge on it.

But it was not really a batsman's graveyard and was expected to play hard and true.

The South African pacers sent down the first three overs without much action. The real drama started to unfold from the third over when Makhaya Ntini induced an edge off Wasim Jaffer's bat to start the carnage.

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Triple centurion in the first Test, Virender Sehwag followed him soon when he edged a dale Steyn ball onto his stumps. After that it was race to the pavilion by the Indian batsmen as VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid were sent back in quick succession.

Indian batting was clearly feeling the heat when Dravid departed with the scorecard reading 53-5 in just 13.1 overs.

It seemed that India, the Twenty20 World Championship winner, were taking their status as the titleholders too seriously and not willing to play more than 20 overs.

It was obvious that India were heading towards a record low.

Vice-Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni also failed in the test of nerves as he tried to break the shackle with Morne Morkel being the lucky bowler.

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Irfan Pathan tried to attack but the South Africans didn't let the India tail wag for long as the hosts were all out for their second lowest total at home for 76.

Steyn finished with five wickets giving away 23 runs from eight overs.

South Africa got the start that they have been accustomed to in recent times with skipper Graeme Smith and Neil Mckenzie taking them past the Indian total before Smith was trapped in front by S Sreesanth.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh then gave India reason for hope with a teasing spell.

He began with the wicket of Mckenzie; caught by Dravid at slip and removed Hashim Amla and Ashwell Prince in quick succession to expose a jittery South African lower middle order.

But the calming influence of Jacques Kallis in the company of AB de Villers assured India were denied any further inroads.

Kallis reached his 49th Test half-century and de Villiers hit his 14th fifty as the visitors wrapped up the day holding all the aces.

But there was some consolation for at least one Indian. Harbhajan became the third-highest wicket taker for India in the Tests.