Harbhajan Singh, playing only his second Test here after a gap of almost 10 years, was the saving grace for India. The off-spinner struck twice, first to break the 111-run worth opening stand between Smith and Alviro Petersen and then cut short a 55-run partnership between the latter and Hashim Amla in his 16-over first spell.

Smith, batting solidly, cut Harbhajan into Dhoni’s gloves and Petersen was snapped by Gautam Gambhir at bat pad.

The current leading wicket-taker in world, however, leaked runs too easily as he chose to toss the ball in search of some drift.

A good percentage of the 107 runs he conceded yesterday were scored in the backward square region. Amla and Jacques Kallis took on from there to stitch an unbroken partnership of 200 which came at a fair clip.

Kallis’s hundred was his fastest-ever (125 balls) and that in a way exposed the limitations of this Indian attack.

Amla, who has scored 1162 runs this calendar year, was given a let-off on 11 when Dhoni failed to clutch on to an inside edge.

The otherwise circumspect No. 3 celebrated his new lease of life by slog-sweeping Harbhajan for a six over mid-wicket. Talk about rubbing it in.