India-South Africa series: India corner ranked 1 South Africa in 1st Test

Johannesburg: India have completely cornered South Africa, the number one ranked test team, in the first of the two match test series here on Friday. Much famed South African pacers have been bullied by centurion Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli who made them look pretty ordinary on day three. India were 284-2 at the close after South Africa worries compounded by injury to their main fast bowler Morne Morkel who has been ruled out bowling in this test after twisting an ankle. Cheteshwar Pujara is unbeaten on 135 and first-innings century-maker Virat Kohli on 77. With 284 on scoreboard, plenty of batsmen to follow and two days to play, one would not hesitate to give India a huge advantage.South Africa were stunned when they were bowled out for 244 in their first innings. They have yet to sink in the feeling of being totally out played by Indians, considered vulnerable on fast and bouncy tracks. "When they were going quite well, the atmosphere in the dressing room was quite relaxing," India bowler Ishant Sharma said. "It's nice to see the batsmen making runs in South Africa." South Africa were so desperate that at one point wicketkeeper AB de Villiers bowled an over and batsman Hashim Amla stood in for him behind the stumps. "We're just trying to just get over today," allrounder Vernon Philander said. "Obviously the guys are quite down, to be quite honest with you. Having lost Morne as well makes a big difference in our bowling unit." With a 36-run first-innings advantage, India forged much further ahead with Pujara's century, his sixth in just 16 tests. His 70-run partnership with Murali Vijay and unbroken stand of 191 with Kohli also finally put clear daylight between the world's two best teams after both collapsed in clutches in the first innings in Johannesburg. While No. 2 India can't overtake South Africa in the rankings over the brief two-test contest, it can lay down a marker by ending the Proteas' 13-series unbeaten run stretching back to 2009, and the Indians already probably have enough runs and only need to give themselves enough time to bowl out the South Africans to take the opener. "It all depends on the time now," bowler Sharma said. "I don't think the runs matter." With Pujara unbeaten and Kohli looking in especially ominous form, India was also aiming to continue its dominance through Saturday as the South African attack, exacerbated by Morkel's absence, looked suddenly tamer than it has in years on a track made for its pacemen. "Hopefully tomorrow morning we can strike early and push them off their plans a little bit," Philander said. "But I'm not going to shy away from the fact that we'd welcome rain."