KL Rahul's century was neutralised by a brilliant counter-offensive ton from the soon-to-be retired Dean Elgar as South Africa looked on course for a first innings lead, reaching 194 for 3 at tea on the second day of the opening Test against India here Wednesday.
It was Rahul's 101 off just 137 balls which propelled India to a first innings score of 245 on a track that offered variable bounce.
But the left-handed Elgar was way more attacking against a wayward Indian attack whose third and fourth pacers were rendered completely ineffective on a good bowling track.
Playing his penultimate Test match, Elgar nicely blended defence with a plethora of pulls and tucks off his legs as his 115 not out off 168 balls, took the Proteas to 51 runs within India's first innings total.
Jasprit Bumrah (2/35 in 11 overs) bowled a couple of wicket-taking deliveries to pull India briefly back into the contest.
Bumrah and his seasoned new-ball colleague Mohammed Siraj (1/39 in 10 overs) did test the home batters but Shardul Thakur (0/47 in 10 overs) looked insipid and debutant Prasidh Krishna (0/51 in 10 overs) was very erratic, leaking way too many runs.
Such was their profligacy that in South Africa's first 100 runs, 18 were boundaries.
The Gujarat slinger ended the 93-run second wicket stand by bowling a perfect off-cutter to southpaw Tony de Zorzi (28 off 62 balls), which pitched on length and moved enough to take a thick outside edge into the hands of Yashasvi Jaiswal at third slip.
Keegan Petersen (2), India's nemesis during the previous tour, lasted only seven deliveries, as he lazily played away from his body and dragged a slightly back of the length delivery coming in with the angle onto his stumps.
However, the dismissals didn't deter Elgar, who hit as many as 21 boundaries and was quick to cut and pull whenever anything short came his way.
While Thakur drifted on Elgar's pads, Prasidh, who had not so memorable half-century to his name, either bowled too full or too short.
Prasidh was imperiously pulled for a six by the South African debutant David Bedingham (32 batting) in an unbroken stand of 81.
Bedingham also handed the same treatment to Thakur as Indian shoulders drooped with passage of time.
