Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis made contrasting half-centuries to blunt India's advantage after winning the toss on the first day of the third and final Test against South Africa at Newlands on Sunday. South Africa were 232 for four at the end of a day which started under a heavily overcast sky, was twice interrupted by rain and bad light, and finished in bright sunshine.
With the series riding on the outcome of the match, Amla made 59 and Kallis 81 not out to leave Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni wondering whether he made the right decision in sending South Africa in on what looked an unusually green Newlands pitch.
India were on top early on when they dismissed both opening batsmen cheaply, with Graeme Smith falling for six and Alviro Petersen for 21. But Amla batted aggressively as he and Kallis put on 72 for the third wicket before Kallis had partnerships of 58 with AB de Villiers (26) and an unbeaten 68 with Ashwell Prince (28 not out).
With the weather expected to be fine for the rest of the match after two days of unseasonal rain, India's advantage was slight at best on a pitch where it usually pays to bat first.
Amla played a sparkling innings in making 59 off 80 balls with eight fours and a pulled six off Sreesanth which raised his half-century. Fortune favoured Amla, though, and there were streaky shots among some scorching drives, cuts and pulls.
He eventually fell to a loose shot, top-edging a pull against Sreesanth to Cheteshwar Pujara at deep midwicket.
Kallis, by contrast, was at his most watchful as he passed fifty for the 15th time in 18 Tests on his home ground. He has converted six of those efforts into centuries in amassing more than 1600 Test runs at Newlands. He reached his fifty off 99 balls and by the close had faced 169 deliveries, hitting just six boundaries.
Only nine overs were bowled in the morning. A further 12 overs were sent down after lunch before the players had to leave the field for 27 minutes because of bad light. By that time, Smith and Petersen had both been dismissed.
Zaheer Khan got his reward for a probing opening spell when Smith played around a delivery which struck him on the back pad to win a leg before wicket decision from umpire Simon Taufel.
Ishant Sharma, who came on to bowl as first change, also had a tight opening spell and dismissed Petersen, caught behind by Dhoni when he lunged at a drive.
Amla took the fight to the Indian bowlers in the first over after the players returned from the second break, hitting Khan for three boundaries in four balls.
With the series locked at one-all, the only change from the teams which played in the second Test in Durban, which India won by 87 runs, was the return of Indian opening batsman Gautam Gambhir from injury in place of Murali Vijay.
SCOREBOARD:
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SOUTH AFRICA FIRST INNINGS:
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A. Petersen c Dhoni b Sharma 21
G. Smith lbw b Khan 6
H. Amla c Pujara b Sreesanth 59
J. Kallis not out 81
A. de Villiers c Dhoni b Sreesanth 26
A. Prince not out 28
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Extras: (b1, lb5, nb5) 11
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Total: (4 wkts, 74 overs) 232
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Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-34, 3-106, 4-164.
Bowling: Khan 19-4-62-1 (nb2), Sreesanth 21-0-70-2 (nb1), Sharma 16-2-39-1 (nb2), Harbhajan Singh 18-1-55-0
Match position: South Africa are 232-4 in the first innings.
Toss: India
Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG), Simon Taufel (AUS)
TV umpire: Brian Jerling (RSA)
Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM).
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