They forced to leave out off-spinner Harbhajan Singh because of a groin injury and suffered a second blow when wicket-keeper Sameer Dighe injured himself before the start of play, forcing them to draft Deep Dasgupta into the side.

With newcomer Connor Williams yet to play a competitive innings on tour, India opted to promote Rahul Dravid to open the batting alongside regular Shiv Sunder Das.

The experiment did not pay off with Dravid lasting just four overs before edging Pollock behind.

Although paceman Nantie Hayward was wayward in line on his return to the Test arena after an 18-month break, he still took two wickets during the morning.

Shiv Sunder Das was beaten for pace, playing onto his stumps after making nine in 55 uncomfortable minutes.

And a cavalier VVS Laxman gloved an attempted pull behind having cracked 32 from 30 balls, including a pulled six off Pollock.

Sourav Ganguly was lucky to survive a dropped catch by Boeta Dippenaar at short leg, but his dismissal regained South African fielding pride.

The Indian skipper gloved a Kallis bouncer towards the slip cordon and Gary Kirsten took a diving forward catch at full stretch.

But there was good news to great him as he returned to the pavilion. His wife had given birth to his first child, a daughter, in Calcutta.

Boundaries

Ganguly fell to a spectacular catch from Kirsten

Pollock apart, the South African bowlers haemorrhaged runs, with the fifth wicket pair scoring at nearly five runs per over.

Tendulkar's 26th Test century - his third in South Africa - came from just 114 balls, with 18 fours.

In the process, the 28-year-old became the youngest ever to pass 7,000 career Test runs and just the second ever Indian, after Sunil Gavaskar, to reach the milestone.

Sehwag, a similar batsman in style to Tendulkar, looked completely at home against the pace bowlers.

He drove Hayward through long off for four to bring up his half century from 83 deliveries.

An afternoon which saw 132 runs scored without loss could never have been predicted as India tumbled into early trouble.

Tendulkar's onslaught finally came to an end when Makhaya Ntini had him caught in the deep on the leg-side after he had hit a six and 23 fours.

But Sehwag went on to reach three figures before he was bowled by Pollock after batting for 272 minutes and hitting 19 boundaries.

Play came to an end when Kallis had Anil Kumble caught behind for six, leaving Dasgupta unbeaten on 29 and looking to push India's total past 400 on Sunday.