Cape Town: India skipper Virat Kohli negotiated a phase of high quality fast bowling, especially by Kagiso Rabada, to take his side to 141 for four at tea on day one of the third and final Test against South Africa here on Tuesday.
Cheteshwar Pujara (43 off 77 balls) and Ajinkya Rahane (9 off 12 balls) were the batters to be dismissed in the session, which yielded 66 runs.
Kohli (40 batting off 139), who has been found wanting against the off-stump line, did play a couple of free flowing cover drives but was more watchful when the ball was pitched in the fourth stump corridor.
The India skipper was batting alongside Rishabh Pant (12 batting off 30) at the break.
South African pacers, particularly Rabada, asked plenty of questions to the batters with the flood lights operating at Newlands underneath an overcast sky.
Kohli, who got off the mark with a delightful cover drive in the morning, hit another majestic one off Marco Jansen in the afternoon besides a six he collected from a mis-timed pull off Rabada.
Rabada breathed fire in his seven-over spell but Kohli was able to see it off with required patience and discipline.
Pujara once again showed positive intent but was undone by a beauty from Jansen that angled in from round the wicket and straightened just enough to take the outside edge.
Rahane, who has shown sublime touch all through the series but has not been able to convert the starts, was caught behind after Rabada got one to straighten from good length.
In the morning, India fought their way to 75 for two after losing their openers early.