Ton-up Pujara puts India in firm control in 1st Test vs SA

Johannesburg: Cheteshwar Pujara slammed a sparkling unbeaten 135 as India gained firm control of the first cricket Test against South Africa with the top-order showing remarkable application to give the visitors a substantial overall lead of 320 here today.

The Indians first bundled out the hosts for 244 for a slender first innings lead of 36 runs and then batted with purpose and maturity to reach 284 for two at close on an eventful third day's play with Pujara again showing his apetite for a big score with an unbeaten knock of 135.

India vs South Africa, 1st Test: Live Updates

The 25-year-old Pujara notched up his sixth Test century while the in-form Virat Kohli is looking good for another big score as he is batting on 77.

The duo put on 191 runs for the unbroken third-wicket stand in only 44.1 overs as South Africa were dealt with a telling blow of Morne Morkel being ruled out of the match due to a ligament tear in his ankle while fielding.

Pujara, who was dropped on 51 by leggie Imran Tahir off his own bowling, made full use of the reprieve as he hit 18 boundaries in 221 balls. Unlike first innings, Kohli played the second fiddle hitting eight fours off 132 balls as South African captain Graeme Smith couldn't devise a strategy to get the duo out.

With two full days left in the game, the visitors will now try to extend the lead further by piling up some quick runs and then hope to dismiss the Proteas who will have to bat last on a deteriorating Wanderers track.

In the morning, veteran Zaheer Khan (4/88) took three of the remaining four wickets as South Africa could add only 31 runs to their overnight score of 213 for six.

Zaheer now has 299 wickets in Test matches and will need only one more to become the fourth Indian bowler after Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh to enter the '300-club'.

Ishant Sharma also picked up a wicket today to end up with impressive figures of four for 79.For Pujara, this was his first Test century away from home and his sequence of scores in the last four first-class matches (including this one) reads 113 (vs West Indies), 102, 9, 269 (in Ranji Trophy) and 135 batting in this game.

Having missed out on a big score after being set in the first innings, Pujara brought up his 50 in the 46th over before Tahir spilled the return catch. India duly crossed the 150-run mark in the 49th over, and the lead swelled to 200 runs in the 53rd.

The runs came at a fast clip as both Pujara and Kohli didn't miss out on punishing the loose deliveries.

In the 61st over, after drinks, Pujara drove Steyn to the boundary and completed his sixth Test hundred.

The ball was changed in the 67th over, as the Indian batsmen had beaten the previous one out of shape, while India's 250 runs came up the next over. Finally, the 300-run lead came in the 74th over, as the two batsmen looked to play for the close.

Earlier in the day, a 70-run stand between Murali Vijay (39) and Cheteshwar Pujara for the second wicket, saw India to 109 for 2 at the stroke of tea.

Vijay was the star of the one and a half sessions that India batted in their second innings before tea, taking the shine off the new ball with his patient and watchful approach.

He rotated strike with Pujara whenever possible, and then punished the fuller deliveries. The duo brought up the India's 50 in the second innings in the 23rd over.

With drinks break coming up, Tahir came up to bowl and was taken for nine runs immediately. He didn’t bowl another over in the whole session, but in the one he bowled, India’s lead went past the 100-run mark as well as 50 came up for the Vijay-Pujara partnership.

Vijay was dismissed in the 34th over, edging Kallis down leg side, his hard work going waste once again. He scored 39 runs off 94 balls, with five fours.In the first session, Shikhar Dhawan (15) was the only man dismissed as he became Vernon Philander's 100th Test wicket edging one to Jacques Kallis in the slip cordon.

However Vijay was more watchful in the second innings as he was prepared to leave a lot of deliveries outside the off-stump.

Along with Pujara, Vijay blunted the new-ball attack of the Proteas. The fact that Morkel was out of equation after bowling only two overs also worked in the favour of the Indians. Dale Steyn (0/64 in 21 overs) was not in his element as the Indians hardly faced any problems in negotiating him.

Philander went one better of countryman Dale Steyn, who reached his milestone in 20 Tests.

Earlier, Zaheer and Ishant made short work of the South African tail in the morning session.

They picked up the last four wickets for just 31 runs, as the Proteas crashed from their overnight score of 213/6 to be bowled out for 244 runs in less than an hour of the opening session on day three.

Vernon Philander and Faf du Plessis started over their 67-run partnership, looking to extend India's time on the field.

Philander started the day with a boundary off the first ball, driving him through the covers and bringing up his 50.

But he couldn't go on for long, edging Zaheer to first slip to Ashwin. Philander was out for 59 runs, facing 86 balls, hitting seven fours.

At the other end, Ishant accounted for Dale Steyn, with Rohit Sharma too held an easy catch at third slip.

Du Plessis scored 20 runs off 77 balls before Zaheer removed him with one that held its line and then finished the innings off by cleaning up Morne Morkel.