de Villiers and Kallis devastate India - India 136 and 190 for 2 (Sehwag 63,Gambhir 80) trail South Africa 620 for 4 dec (Kallis 201*,deVilliers 129)

South Africa's powerful performance during the first half of the third day added so much ground to the territory captured on the previous two that the dominance of India's openers for 29 overs, their half-centuries and three dropped catches made no dent in the home team's ironclad prospects of taking a 1-0 lead in the series.


If India thought they had already hit rock bottom, they were in for the most unbelievable shock as they crashed through that and continued to free-fall. Their bowling was toothless, and South Africa infinitely more ruthless. Under blue skies in Centurion, AB de Villiers pulverised the featherweight attack like a heavyweight might, and scored a hundred in under two hours. South Africa's lead swelled by 225 runs in 36 overs before lunch and Jacques Kallis reached his maiden double-century soon after the break. Graeme Smith declared shortly after on 620 for 4 - when de Villiers fell - with a monstrous lead of 484.


In cloudier weather, Virender Sehwag and Gambhir gave India a modicum of respite by surviving the new ball and scoring briskly. Their partnership was worth 137, but the battle was for longevity and both batsmen lost it. Their dismissals left India with eight wickets in hand and two days to survive. They'll need a batting performance without precedent, and perhaps substantial rain as well.


That India were attempting to avoid an innings defeat so early was because their bowlers were helpless in the morning: unable to make a breakthrough, unable to control the run-rate, unable to do anything to help their cause. Ishant Sharma was gifted a wicket but de Villiers seamlessly picked up where Hashim Amla left off. His 76-ball century was the quickest by a South African. Kallis, who until today averaged about 14 after resuming on an overnight century, added plenty more.


The maiden over de Villiers played out against Jaidev Unadkat soon after he came in - on 396 for 3 - was the lull before the hurricane. His first forceful shot was the straightest of drives, bisecting the gap between Ishant on his follow-through and the stumps. de Villiers then executed the plan to target Harbhajan Singh to perfection. He stepped out to the offspinner's first delivery, but had to readjust to a fuller length and squirt it through point. In Harbhajan's next over, de Villiers nimbly got down on one knee and launched the ball over deep square leg. Soon he was reverse-sweeping and his aggression rubbed off on Kallis, who had been restrained for the first hour.


The century partnership came when de Villiers danced towards Suresh Raina and caused some of the fans on the grass banks at wide long-on to rush to catch the ball. Two more consecutive sixes off Raina, a muscular pull and a slog-sweep, took de Villiers to his century. Kallis helped himself against Raina's long-hops as well and also dismissed Sachin Tendulkar over deep midwicket.