CAPE TOWN // When MS Dhoni won the toss for only the second time in the last 14 Tests, it left him in a quandary.
Newlands is traditionally a venue where you bat first, pile on the runs and then watch the bowlers come into play late in the game.
If you have a quality spinner in the ranks as India do with Harbhajan Singh, it is exactly the kind of surface where you want to bowl last.
This pitch, though, was tinged with green and the skies overhead were grey after early-morning showers.
With Table Mountain hidden behind the clouds, you could scarcely fault Dhoni's decision to bowl first.
Circumstances and some excellent South African batting, however, ensured that it would be the hosts that finished the opening day much the happier.
The cornerstone of a dogged batting effort was no stranger to Newlands regulars.
Jacques Kallis is a local boy and down the years, he has plundered six centuries and averaged nearly 70 at this storied venue.
Coming in to bat with the innings precariously placed at 34 for two, he provided the composure and nous, while Hashim Amla unveiled a tremendous array of attacking shots at the other.
By then, a frustrated Indian side had already been off the field for 85 minutes either side of the lunch interval.
In the nine overs of play possible before the drizzle came down, Zaheer Khan had continued his dominance of Graeme Smith, thudding a delivery into the pad after threatening to shape it away.
When the action finally resumed at 1.20pm, they made another breakthrough, with Alviro Petersen playing loosely at an Ishant Sharma delivery that left him off the seam.
But though the conditions continued to favour the bowlers, India lost the plot a little after that, with even Zaheer guilty of erring in line and length.
Kallis was in no hurry, but Amla took full advantage, with some lovely drives and even a six over square-leg.
After South African disapproval of his verbals in Durban, the crowd in the North Stand also got stuck into Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, the India pace bowler.
It was Sreesanth who had a laugh at their expense though, with Amla playing one shot too many.
A miscued pull found Cheteshwar Pujara in the deep, and Harbhajan had to restrain Sreesanth as he attempted to go towards his tormentors in celebration.
That was about as good as India's day would get.
As the skies started to clear and Kallis, who has made hundreds against Australia and England in his last two Tests here, started to play himself in.
India found that this was not quite the Kingsmead surface on which they had bowled out South Africa for 131 and 215.
Each of the three pace men impressed in patches, with Sreesanth the most threatening towards the end of the day, but they did not bowl well as a unit.
Harbhajan toiled manfully on a first day pitch for little reward, and it was the volatile Sreesanth who produced India's only breakthrough of the final session, having AB de Villiers caught behind with a beautifully pitched outswinger.
But Ashwell Prince, who has a fine record against India at home, joined forces with Kallis and ensured that there was no further dent before stumps were drawn at 7pm.
The partnership was worth 68 by then, and the South Africans, who have only lost to Australia (three times) here since their readmission to Test cricket, had taken big strides towards negating the effect of the coin falling India's way. "Jacques's been key to our performance for 15 years," said Amla afterwards.
"In trying conditions, his technique was extremely sound and his temperament superb. He kept the innings together.
"The pitch had a lot in it for the bowlers. There was swing and nip. Considering that we were put in, and the wicket had plenty of juice in it, we're in a good space."
