Kolkata (AFP) - Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah claimed a five-wicket haul as India bowled out South Africa for 159 to take the opening day honours in the first cricket Test on Friday.

Electing to bat in Kolkata at the start of the two-match series, reigning world Test champions South Africa lost regular wickets to be bowled out off 55 overs.

In reply, India were 37-1 at stumps, trailing South Africa by 122 runs on a pitch that looked good to bat.

Left-arm quick Marco Jansen removed Yashasvi Jaiswal for 12 after the left-handed opener chopped a delivery on to his stumps.

KL Rahul, on 13, and left-handed Washington Sundar, on six, were batting when bad light stopped play at the iconic Eden Gardens.

The pair carefully waded through the final 30 minutes with floodlights turned on due to fading natural light.

The visitors suffered a setback even before a ball was bowled as their premier fast bowler Kagiso Rabada was ruled out due to a rib injury.

Bumrah, who took his 16th five-wicket haul in Test cricket after making his debut in 2018, struck with twin blows in the third over after tea.

After a 57-run stand between openers Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton, South Africa faltered against the Indian attack.

Spinner Kuldeep Yadav and fast bowler Mohammed Siraj took two wickets each.

Opening batter Markram took 23 deliveries to get off the mark but did it with a glorious straight drive for four off Siraj.

Spin was introduced in the eighth over with Axar Patel bowling his left-arm orthodox but Markram kept up the attack with another set of boundaries.

Bumrah (5-27) broke the opening stand when he bowled left-hander Rickelton for 23 to raise the noise of a large crowd of around 36,000, according to official figures.

He then produced a gem to send back Markram, caught behind for 31 on a rising ball that got the glove as returning wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant completed a diving catch.

Kuldeep kept up the bowling charge and took down Temba Bavuma, with the skipper caught at leg slip for three.

Wiaan Mulder and Tony de Zorzi – who both scored 24 – took the team past 100 and into lunch before Kuldeep trapped Mulder lbw with the batsman attempting a reverse sweep off the left-arm wrist spinner.

Bumrah ended de Zorzi’s defiance and the batter, like Mulder, wasted a review with tracker on both occasions showing the ball would have hit the stumps.

Wickets kept tumbling as Siraj picked two in the space of four balls, with Kyle Verreynne lbw for 16 and Jansen bowled for a duck.