Shaun Pollock celebrates with teammates his 400th Test wicket after dismissing Rahul Dravid on Saturday. Pollock is the first South African bowler to reach the landmark. (AP)

Johannesburg: A lively spell of seam bowling backed by some plucky batting performance helped India make a dramatic turnaround and gain control of the first cricket Test against South Africa here Saturday.

After stretching their first innings to a respectable 249, the Indians gave the hosts a spoon of their medicine to bundle them out for 84, their lowest ever score in Test cricket since readmission.

Kerala seamer Sreesanth picked up his maiden five-wicket haul of five for 40 and was well-supported by Zaheer Khan and Anil Kumble who claimed two wickets each.

It was the first time since 1957 that South Africa were all out for less than a three-figure score.

The third lowest total by any team against India also saw South Africa concede a lead of 165 runs.

The Indians then consolidated their position with some resilient batting to reach 146 for five.

Virender Sehwag managed 33 which, on a day that saw 20 wickets fall, was equivalent of a strong start.

Sourav Ganguly (25) and VVS Laxman (42 batting) built on it with a 58-run stand to extend India’s overall lead to 311 runs.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni on 17 was giving company to Laxman at close.

In between, South Africa’s all-rounder Shaun Pollock achieved a personal milestone of 400 Test wickets with the scalp of visiting skipper Rahul Dravid (1).

Young Sreesanth bowled a dream spell to take his first five-wicket haul as South Africa were bowled out in 25-odd overs at the stroke of tea.

Sreesanth started the rot with two wickets before lunch break and continued the mayhem in the afternoon session with three more scalps, at one stage reducing the hosts to 45 for seven.

Sreesanth took out Graeme Smith (5) and Hashim Amla (0) in the first session and then struck the body blow to South Africa by claiming Jacques Kallis (12) on resumption.

Ab de Villiers (6) was shocked by a delivery from Zaheer Khan which rose abruptly and a defensive jab ended in the hands of Virender Sehwag in the gully region.

Mark Boucher (5) became Sreesanth’s fourth victim when he inside-edged a delivery on to his leg-stump and South Africa had five of their top order back in the hut.

Pollock (5) made it a first fiver for Sreesanth as he missed a delivery heading on to his stumps.

Andre Nel (21) hit some lusty blows to score his highest ever in Tests but the introduction of Anil Kumble into attack ended all pretensions of a fightback.

Kumble claimed an obdurate Ashwell Prince (24) who edged a catch behind the stumps and off the very next delivery, Makhaya Ntini found his stumps rattled.

Nel then hit one in the deep on the off-side to close the lid on South Africa’s first innings, a performance which left the weekend spectators completely shocked.

Last man VRV Singh was comical but effective in smashing 29 off 26 balls and put on 44 runs from 35 balls with the irrepressible Sourav Ganguly (51) as the visitors, starting the day at 156 for 5, added 93 further runs.

Ganguly was outstanding in his comeback innings and played several pleasing strokes, including a pulled six off Makhaya Ntini.

In all, his unbeaten knock spanned nearly three hours and consumed 101 balls, studded with four fours and a six.

Dhoni appeared to get behind the line of the deliveries before an absolutely stunning catch in the outfield sent him back into the dressing room.

Dhoni made a cracking off-drive off Ntini and Pollock (four for 39) at mid-off threw himself full-stretched to catch the chance inches off the ground.

India’s tailenders were then exposed and even though the ball was fairly old, it was too much to expect them to offer much resistance.

Anil Kumble was rapped on his body a few times and then tamely edged a catch into the slips.