India were all out for 201 in their reply to South Africa's first innings 489 on day three of the second test in Guwahati on Monday.
Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal made 58 but it was otherwise a batting capitulation on a pitch offering little assistance to the bowlers.
For South Africa, who are 1-0 ahead in the two-test series, Marco Jansen claimed 6-48.
Washington Sundar (33) and Kuldeep Yadav (14) forged a 52-run partnership for the unbroken eighth wicket but India were well short of South Africa's first innings total of 489.
After losing the opener of the two-test series in Kolkata inside three days, India began cautiously on a wicket described as a ‘road’ by spinner Kuldeep Yadav because of its lack of assistance for the bowlers.
KL Rahul (22) looked compact in his defence while his opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal (58) was more fluent at the other end, often employing the sweep shot to counter the spinners.
Keshav Maharaj broke the 65-run opening stand an hour into play when Rahul lunged forward to defend a ball but was done for by the extra bounce. The ball hit the shoulder of his bat before nestling into Aiden Markram's hands at slip.
Jaiswal took two off Simon Harmer's bowling to bring up the first fifty by an India batter in the series but his knock did not last much longer.
The lefthander was surprised by the slowness of the track and spooned a Harmer delivery towards backward point where it would have landed short of most players but not the 2.06m tall Marco Jansen, who dived forward to pouch the ball.
