Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar ended day two of the decisive third Test with an unbroken partnership of 114 as India seek to push past South Africa's first-innings total.
After being dropped on both 10 and 60, opener Gambhir reached the close on 65 while Tendulkar was with him on 49 as the tourists moved on to 142 for two at Newlands.
They are therefore 220 runs behind the Proteas, who earlier reached 362 in their first innings with Jacques Kallis making his 39th Test century.
The veteran all-rounder went on to make 161 and forged lower order partnerships of 27 with Paul Harris (seven) and 52 with Lonwabo Tsotsobe (eight not out) as the home side frustrated the Indians, for whom Sreesanth took the third five-wicket haul of his career.
Gambhir and Tendulkar's partnership was just what India needed after they lost two early wickets in the form of Virender Sehwag (13) and Rahul Dravid (five).
The opener was first to go after India came out to bat shortly after lunch - Sehwag mistiming a drive off Dale Steyn towards a diving Graeme Smith at mid-off.
New man Dravid was almost run out soon after following a mix up with Gambhir but 12th man JP Duminy was unable to hit the stumps from cover.
He was out just two overs later though and in similarly confusing circumstances - Gambhir's thick edge being dropped at gully by Alviro Petersen with AB de Villiers then throwing down the stumps at the batsman's end as Dravid attempted a single.
India had reached 49 for two by tea with Gambhir and Tendulkar then bringing up their 50 partnership from 73 balls.
The opener then went on to bring up his 50 in the 27th over, with the 100 then being raised for his side.
However, the scoring slowed dramatically as the evening wore on with only 42 runs added in the final 22 overs.
India did survive another chance in that period though as Gambhir's edge off Tsotsobe's delivery was dropped by De Villiers at second slip.
Exertions
Earlier, Kallis proved the lynchpin with the bat for South Africa but he was also hit by a Shanthakumaran Sreesanth delivery that, it was subsequently revealed, caused a rib injury.
As a result, Kallis was unable to take to the field and bowl and is likely now to miss the rest of the match.
He and Ashwell Prince resumed with their side on 232 for four overnight and they shared a 98-run stand before India took the new ball and started to make inroads.
Prince was first to go for 47 when a swinging delivery from Sreesanth (five for 114) cut straight through his defences.
He then claimed Mark Boucher for a duck with the next ball - the wicketkeeper edging an away swinger to Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
On a hat-trick, Sreesanth made rather a hash of his next delivery though and bowled a no ball to Kallis, who then hit back-to-back boundaries to move 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.
However, 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 then removed Morne Morkel (eight), also caught behind by Dhoni with South Africa then reaching 300.
Harris and Tsotsobe ensured that the tail wagged but South Africa's innings was ended when Kallis edged Zaheer behind to Dhoni.
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