Images: Tendulkar's 51st ton frustrates SA

Sachin Tendulkar scored a magnificent century, his 51st, as India amassed 364 in their first innings, a lead of just two runs, on Day 3 of the third Test against South Africa in CapeTown on Tuesday.

- Scorecard

The ace batsman,  who scored seven Test centuries in 2010, brought up his hundred after lunch by top-edging a hook off Morne Morkel for six. 

He was dismissed for 146, inclusive of  17 fours and two sixes in his 314-ball knock, after a 465-minute stay at the crease by Morkel.

Gautam Gambhir, who survived a charmed life, being dropped thrice, fell seven short of a century.

Left-arm spinner Paul Harris ripped a ball out of the rough to have the left-hander smartly caught behind by Mark Boucher for 93, which included 13 boundaries, off 222 balls.

He put on 182 runs in 363 balls for the third wicket with Tendulkar during his 268-minute stay at the crease and laid a strong platform for India.

Dale Steyn, who finished with 5 for 75 in India's first inings, struck immediately after lunch when he trapped Cheteshwar Pujara (2) lbw with an unplayable delivery that pitched on leg stump and then swung away late to hit the batsman on the back pad.

He was quick to follow up with the wicket of India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who edged another fine away swinger to be caught at third slip for a duck.

Steyn, the world's number one ranked bowler should also have disposed of Harbhajan Singh when another fantastic delivery had the batsman groping to no avail as the ball swung into off stump. But to one nation's dismay and another's joy, the bails somehow failed to fall and Harbhajan had an unlikely reprieve on six.

Harbhajan Singh went on to score 40 which included three fours and two six that swelled India's total considerably.