Johannesburg: South Africa's five-man fast-bowling attack swept aside resistance from Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara to bowl India out for 187 on the first day of the third and final test on Wednesday.

Already 2-0 down and facing a series whitewash, India lost eight wickets for 142 runs after lunch after taking the bold option to bat first on a typically feisty Wanderers pitch.

Skipper Kohli made 54 and Pujara 50, and their 84-run partnership appeared to have lifted India out of trouble when they were 13-2 in the ninth over. The partnership came off 204 balls but India's focus was on survival in a testing start.

It was a temporary reprieve, though, as Kohli fell to a flashing edge to AB de Villiers in the slips having already survived two dropped catches.

Pujara, showing extreme patience to face 53 balls before he scored his first run, also went to an edge behind soon after reaching his half-century.

After that, Parthiv Patel and Hardik Pandya fell to careless shots and India failed to make it to 200 for the third time in five innings this series. India is ranked No. 1 in test cricket and was on a run of nine straight series victories before that winning form came to a halt against No. 2 South Africa.

For the final test, South Africa added seamer Andile Phehlukwayo to its team for an out-and-out pace attack on a green, seaming strip in Johannesburg.

The South African quicks worked as a pack, with Kagiso Rabada taking 3-39 and Phehlukwayo, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel taking two wickets each.