India, who resumed on 254 for three, lost their fourth wicket in the eighth over of the day when fast bowler Dale Steyn uprooted VVS Laxman's off-stump to bowl him for 13.

Tendulkar and Ganguly shared a stand 68 for the fifth wicket before Harris had Tendulkar caught by Jacques Kallis at slip with a delivery that turned sharply out of the rough.

Tendulkar's steady innings included 11 fours and came off 130 balls.

Virender Sehwag, who was demoted to number seven after struggling at the top of the order in the first two tests, was out for an increasingly aggressive 40 when he pulled at a delivery from Harris and was caught by Makhaya Ntini at deep backward square leg.

That reduced India to 395 for six and the visitors lost their last five wickets for 19 runs.

Ganguly, who was struck a fearsome blow on the helmet by Steyn with the third ball he faced, was last out when he skied a delivery from Pollock to Hashim Amla at mid-off.

The gutsy Ganguly faced 75 balls and hit nine fours and a six.

Smith began South Africa's reply in spectacular style when he hooked the first ball of the innings, bowled by left-arm fast bowler Zaheer Khan, over the fine leg boundary for six.

Fast bowler Shanta Sreesanth struck back for India in the fourth over before tea when he had AB de Villiers caught behind off the inside edge by wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik for one.

That proved to be India's last success of the day as Smith and Amla took the home side to the close with little drama.