Neil McKenzie narrowly missed a second consecutive hundred as South Africa began day one of the first Test against India brightly in Chennai on Wednesday.

McKenzie made 94 and skipper Graeme Smith plundered 73 in a first wicket partnership of 132. The duo combined in a Test record opening stand of 415 against Bangladesh earlier this month when both registered double centuries, so their understanding is developing quickly after McKenzie’s stint in the international wilderness for the last three years.

Hashim Amla was 85 not out at the close with AB de Villiers. India’s rare successes were the relatively cheap dismissals of Jacques Kallis, caught off Harbhajan Singh for 13, and Ashwell Prince, caught and bowled Anil Kumble for 23.

First man out Smith would have been eyeing a 15th Test hundred before he mistimed a drive off Kumble and was caught at midwicket by VVS Laxman. Nonetheless, on a typically hot day in the south, it was the South African skipper who set the tone for the innings, facing just 97 balls for his runs in a one-day-like dash.

McKenzie, who made 226 in his last Test innings, would surely have had his eye on three figures once more but his lunge at the off-spinner resulted in an edge into the reliable hands of Rahul Dravid at slip.

The spinners each claimed a brace of wickets and as expected bowled the majority of the overs with Kumble taking 2-61 from 29 overs and Harbhajan 2-92 from 26.  

Both teams are jostling for the right to be known as the second-best Test team in the world, behind the out of sight leaders Australia.