Virender Sehwag scored a sparkling half-century as India made a strong reply to South Africa's first innings total of 540 on Day 2 of the first Test at the M A Chidambaram stadium in Chennai on Thursday.
Sehwag played a characteristic knock of 52, inclusive of six boundaries and a six, as India ended the day on 82 without loss in 21 overs.
Wasim Jaffer was also back among the runs with a steady innings of 25 not out from 65 deliveries.
Earlier, Hashim Amla scored a brilliant 159 as South Africa piled on the runs. Neil McKenzie (94) and captain Graeme Smith (73) had given the visitors a flying start on Day 1, while Mark Boucher propped the lower order with a steady knock of 70.
Harbhajan Singh ensured that the South African tail-enders did not hang for long, claiming five wickets for 165 in 44.5 overs, while Anil Kumble finished with 2 for 106 from 45.
Morning session: (23 overs, 100 runs, 1 wicket)
Resuming at 304 for four, South Africa got off to a flier. A B de Villiers greeted Anil Kumble with a pull shot to the square leg boundary off the first ball the ace leggie bowled; four balls later he glanced fine for another boundary. With 19 runs coming off the first three overs from both Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, India wasted no time in taking the new ball.
But it hardly helped matters as both Amla and De Villiers continued piling the runs with a string of boundaries. Amla brought up his century in style, scoring three consecutive boundaries off Sreesanth in the 96th over.
It was the right-hander's fourth Test century and he celebrated by raising his bat towards the dressing room. He creamed Sreesanth thrice through the cover region to bring up his hundred in 173 deliveries, inclusive of 14 boundaries.
R P Singh also failed to make an impression as De Villiers smashed him for two boundaries in the next over. In fact, the left-armer appeared slower than his normal pace and also failed to strike a good length.
It was Sreesanth who got the wicket at just about the right time for India. He got De Villiers to lash outside the off-stump and the resultant edge was neatly taken by wicketkeeper M S Dhoni, diving to his right.
De Villiers departed for a brisk 44 off 58 deliveries, including eight boundaries. His 66-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Amla gave South Africa the much-needed impetus on the second morning as they set about building a huge first innings total.
R P Singh bowled a lacklustre first spell with the second new ball, giving away 20 runs in four overs before making way for part-timer Sourav Ganguly with the score reading 369 for five in 102 overs.
But it made no impact really, as Ganguly's slow medium-pacers hardly caused any real harm on this dead pitch. With the spinners also not extracting any help, Kumble brought on R P Singh from the other end to replace Sreesanth in the hope that the left-armer would scalp a wicket or two.
Amla looked quite content to play the role of anchor and guide his team to a big score. After his hundred he looked relaxed and milked the bowlers with relative ease. At the other end, veteran Mark Boucher also brought his full experience into play and made it hard for the Indian bowlers as he kept the scoreboard ticking at a fair rate.
At lunch on the second day, South Africa were 404 for 5 wickets in 113 overs. Amla was unbeaten on a brilliant 124 not out, inclusive of 15 boundaries in his 218-ball knock. Boucher, who gave him good support, was not out on 26, inclusive of five boundaries.
It turned out to be another good session for the South African batsmen as 100 runs came in 23 overs for the loss of just one wicket. The visitors will now be hoping to extend their advantage after lunch and cross the 500-run mark which will put them on the drivers' seat.
Post-lunch session: (97 runs, 27 overs, 1 wicket)
India's shoddy display in the field was the highlight of the second session. On Wednesday, Day 1, at least 30 runs were conceded as a result of sloppy fielding. R P Singh and Sreesanth showed no real interest in fielding and conceded easy boundaries much to the frustration of captain Kumble.
Amla coasted to his 150 in 248 balls. It included nine boundaries and took over three hours of batting on the dead Chepauk wicket.
But even though India's fielding was its worst, it did produce a wicket. A huge mix-up between Boucher and Amla resulted in the latter's dismissal after a magnificent knock of 159.
Boucher played the ball on the off-side and advanced a few steps before sending Amla, who had nearly reached his end, back. And, even though the throw was at the wrong end, Dhoni had enough time to pass the ball to Kumble, who knocked down the stumps.
It was one of Amla's best Test knocks; he hit 20 boundaries in his 262-ball stay at the wicket. His 99-run partnership with Boucher ensured that South Africa continued the good work of the top order.
Boucher brought up his half-century with a single on the leg side off Sehwag in the 131st over. The veteran wicketkeeper needed 99 deliveries to reach the landmark, which included eight boundaries. He took on the mantle of scoring after Amla's dismissal and made sure India continued to suffer on the docile track.
Morne Morkel also got off to a start and did not many problems in keeping the scoreboard moving. He hit a slog sweep boundary through the midwicket off the final delivery of the session to take South Africa past 500.
At tea on the second day, South Africa were 501 for 6 in 140 overs. Boucher was unbeaten on 62 from 128 deliveries, having hit nine boundaries. At the other end, the tall Morkel was not out on 25 from 38 deliveries, inclusive of six boundaries.
It turned out to be another dull session for the few spectators that came to the ground. There was no real contest between bat and ball and for the fifth straight session batsmen had dominated. The lacklustre Indian fielding also did not help the bowlers' cause. It looked as if they were merely going through the motions expecting things to happen rather than forcing the issue.
It now remains to be seen how much South Africa will get. Will they declare in the final session?
Post-tea session: (121 runs, 33.5 overs, 4 wickets)
Boucher did not last long after the break. He was out for 70 in the fourth over after tea when he attempted a slog sweep against Virender Sehwag and the top edge looped to Dravid at first slip.
With the field spread out, India's ploy after tea was quite clear: stop South Africa from going all out and delay their declaration. Surprisingly, even the visitors didn't seem that keen on having a go at the bowling and were content in taking singles and twos.
Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf compounded India's misery when he ruled Paul Harris not out. The batsman got an edge to a Harbhajan delivery, which was taken by Dravid at first slip, but Rauf turned down the appeal.
Harbhajan claimed his third victim of the innings when he caught and bowled Morkel for 35. The left-hander had truck seven boundaries in his 54-ball knock before hitting the ball straight back to the bowler as South Africa slipped to 520 for eight.
The tail-enders found it difficult against the two spinners, as the pitch showed the first signs of helping the slower bowlers. Harbhajan's 'doosra' was proving to be particularly difficult for the lower order batsmen to pick. It was that very delivery that got him the wicket of Harris; the batsman edged the straighter delivery to wicketkeeper Dhoni for 5.
Dale Steyn hit a few boundaries towards the end, including a reverse sweep off Harbhajan. Off the next ball, he tried to loft the off-spinner straight but sent it high. Luckily for him, it fell between the bowler, who was running behind, and Sreesanth, at long-on.
However, he was dismissed off the next delivery while trying to repeat the shot and was caught by RP Singh at long-off.
Harbhajan finished with respectable figures of five for 164 in 44.5 overs but not before South Africa had posted a mammoth 540. The visitors must be delighted that they were able to take full advantage of a good pitch after winning the toss.
India must be relieved that the South Africa tail-enders got out pretty cheaply. Harbhajan and Kumble (2 for 106) bowled a total of 90 overs between themselves on a pitch offering little help. The pacers, Sreesanth (1 for 104) and R P Singh, went wicketless, and were a major disappointment.
India innings
Virender Sehwag has a unique style of batting and never seems unfazed, no matter what the situation is. He started off with a bang, producing two sizzling shots against Ntini in the second over of the innings. He was off the mark with a stylish boundary through the off-side followed by a cracking six over the third man region off a short delivery from Ntini.
Wasim Jaffer also did not take long to get going. He drove past a helpless Steyn straight down the ground for his second boundary and one of the best of the match. In the next over he repeated Sehwag's shot when he upper-cut Ntini for a six over the third man fence.
Sehwag then repeated Jaffer's shot, straight-driving Steyn in the seventh over for a straight boundary as India raced to 39 for no loss. India were off to a quick start, scoring 47 for no loss in the first ten overs, with Sehwag on 24 and Jaffer on 19.
Even the South African seamers seemed to have no answer to the dead pitch as India raced along to 60 for no loss in 15 overs before off-spinner Paul Harris was introduced.
After a quiet first over, Sehwag took the attack to Harris with a boundary through the off-side and a double to quickly move to 47. He completed his half-century in the 21st over with a double through the covers off fast bowler Steyn in the final over of the day. It took him just 59 deliveries to post his 14th Test fifty, which included six boundaries and a six.
At close on the second day, India were 82 for no loss after 21 overs, still needing another 259 runs to avoid the follow-on.
After two days of hard work on the field, Sehwag relished his time in the middle and finished unbeaten on 52, while Jaffer was not out on a steady 25.
It was the perfect response by the Indian batsmen as they dominated the South African bowlers right from the start.
Steyn, Ntini and Morkel might have already realised what a tough task is ahead of them. After all, nothing can be more difficult than bowling to the world's best batting line-up on a pitch loaded with runs.