A short-of-length delivery reared sharply on a surface already showing the odd ball stay low, forcing Markram (31 off 48; 5×4, 1×6) to glove to Dhruv Jurel. The contrast in bounce underscored the pitch’s fickle nature.
Bumrah also troubled Bavuma with a thigh-pad strike in the same over before India introduced Kuldeep Yadav.
The left-arm wrist-spinner struck in his second over, Bavuma falling to a smart leg-slip trap, Jurel snapping a sharp inside-edge chance.
India used all four spinners before lunch, with Washington Sundar bowling the final over as the pitch continued to show variable behaviour with odd balls staying low and leaping.
At the break, Mulder (22 off 43) and in-form Tony de Zorzi (15 off 38) — both playing their first Tests in India — were at the crease.
Earlier, India sprang a bold selection call under Gautam Gambhir’s think-tank, fielding four spinners for the first time since the 2012 Nagpur Test vs England, recalling Patel in place of designated No.3 Sai Sudharsan, who was seen training separately with physio Adrian Le Roux in the morning.
South Africa picked just two spinners, leaving out Senuran Muthusamy — Player of the Series in their 1-1 draw in Pakistan while Kagiso Rabada’s rib injury meant Marco Jansen and Mumbai Indians pacer Corbin Bosch formed their two-man pace attack.
