JACQUES KALLIS continued his rich run of form by collecting his 40th Test century and second in the third Test against India to put South Africa on top after day four in Cape Town.
The veteran all-rounder was unbeaten on 109 when the hosts were all out for 341 to set a target of 339.
Harbhajan Singh finished with seven wickets, but his efforts were overshadowed by Kallis ahead of what now promises to be an enthralling final day on a fast-deteriorating Newlands pitch.
The 35-year-old, who shared in a vital partnership of 103 with Mark Boucher (55), and put on 54 with Dale Steyn (32) and 46 with Morne Morkel (28), achieved several landmarks along the way.
He became the first player from his country to score hundreds in each innings of the same match on home soil, while his third century of the series also saw him surpass the highest aggregate of runs by a South African for a three-match contest. Daryll Cullinan’s 427 against New Zealand in 1999 was the previous best with Kallis moving to 498.
He also surpassed Ricky Ponting to move alone into second place for the most Test centuries. Sachin Tendulkar leads the way with 51.
The feats of Kallis, who battled throughout his innings with a side strain, looked unlikely earlier in the day when Alviro Petersen (22) and Hashim Amla (two) both fell cheaply.
It left South Africa in a massive hole as they swiftly slumped from their overnight 52 for two to 64 for four.
Days four and five at Newlands favour spin, and Harbhajan (seven for 120) exploited the conditions to perfection with his fifth delivery of the day catching Petersen on the crease lbw.
Twelve deliveries later Amla was bowled missing an attempted sweep, the ball hitting his pads and looping onto the stumps.
AB de Villiers put on 34 in 16.2 overs with Kallis before he played on to Zaheer Khan on for 13.
Prince was next in and helped take the home side to 121 for five at lunch, but he went soon after the interval as he attempted to slash Ishant Sharma for a boundary and was caught by Sreesanth at point for 22.
Kallis reached his half-century from 134 balls with a boundary off Sharma, the same stroke then marking a 50 stand with Boucher.
Tendulkar eventually grabbed an unlikely breakthrough with his part-time spin when a short ball kept low, trapping Boucher lbw.
The new ball was taken as soon as it became available, but with India looking increasingly demoralised, Steyn offered more good support for Kallis to take the total beyond 250. However, Steyn was then out to Harbhajan, caught by Murali Vijay, handing the spinner his fifth wicket.
For Kallis, though, the records kept tumbling with a single raising his 100 from 228 balls, the second time he has achieved the feat after doing it against Pakistan in Karachi during 2007.
But Harbhajan grabbed the last two wickets – Morkel and Lonwabo Tsotsobe (eight) – with what proved to be the final deliveries of the day.
