Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar saw India make steady progress in the third Test against South Africa.An unbroken 114-run partnership between the pair helped the visitors finish the second day on 142 for two at Newlands.
Opener Gambhir survived dropped chances on 10 and 60 to reach the close on 65, while Tendulkar was with him on 49 despite a slow-scoring final session.
It meant the tourists were still 220 runs behind the home side's first-innings 362 that was built around Jacques Kallis' 39th Test century....
The veteran all-rounder made 161 and shared in two fine lower order partnerships - 27 with Paul Harris (seven) and 52 with Lonwabo Tsotsobe (eight not out) - to frustrate the Indians and wrestle back the initiative after Sreesanth had earlier completed the third five-wicket haul of his career.
But the evening fightback means the world number one side were still well placed to push ahead on day three.
That came after they had lost two early wickets in the form of Virender Sehwag (13) and Rahul Dravid for five.
The opener was first to go when India came out to bat shortly after lunch - his half-hearted drive off Dale Steyn flying towards mid-off where Graeme Smith did excellently to dive forward and scoop the catch.
New man Dravid survived an early scare in his innings - the India number three would have been run out had 12th man JP Duminy hit the stumps from cover after a mix-up with Gambhir.
But there was no second chance for Dravid just two overs later when he was run out for five in bizarre circumstances.
Gambhir's thick edge was dropped at gully by Alviro Petersen with AB de Villiers then throwing down the stumps at the batsman's end as the two attempted to steal a single.
It was 49 for two at tea with Gambhir and Tendulkar bringing up the 50 partnership from 73 balls afterwards as batting looked much easier with the sun baking down in Cape Town.
The opener then went on to bring up his 50 in the 27th over, followed by the 100 being raised for his side.
But scoring slowed dramatically thereafter, and despite the pair bringing up a gritty century stand in 194 deliveries, only 42 were scored from the final 22 overs
During that time there was one more scare for the Indians when Gambhir edged Tsotsobe again but De Villiers put down the chance at second slip.
Earlier, Kallis was the star but his innings came at a price as he was unable to take to the field and bowl after suffering a side strain.
When he batted he did so with style, though, as he and Ashwell Prince resumed with their side on 232 for four overnight.
They shared in a 98-run stand, before the new ball helped India run through the middle and lower order.
Prince was first to go for 47 when a swinging delivery from Sreesanth (five for 114) cut straight through his defences, followed by the next ball dismissal of Mark Boucher for a duck - the wicketkeeper edging an away swinger to Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Sreesanth made a hash of the hat-trick delivery by bowling a no-ball to Kallis, who defended, and the batsman followed that up with back-to-back boundaries taking him to 99.
He lost another partner when Steyn (nought) could do nothing about a Zaheer Khan (three for 89) bouncer which was fended straight to Cheteshwar Pujara at gully.
But a single in the next over took Kallis to his fifth century in his last seven Tests - putting him joint-second on the all-time list alongside Ricky Ponting.
Sreesanth continued to plug away at the other end taking out Morne Morkel (eight), also caught behind by Dhoni, followed by the 300 being raised.
Harris and Tsotsobe then ensured there was a swagger from the tail, before Kallis was the last man out when he edged Zaheer behind to Dhoni.
Opener Gambhir survived dropped chances on 10 and 60 to reach the close on 65, while Tendulkar was with him on 49 despite a slow-scoring final session.
It meant the tourists were still 220 runs behind the home side's first-innings 362 that was built around Jacques Kallis' 39th Test century....
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