Kohli puts India in the box seat in South Africa Test

Skipper Virat Kohli led from the front with an unbeaten 83 as India gained a stranglehold on South Africa in the fourth and final Test on Saturday. At stumps, the hosts were 190-4 for a formidable lead of 403 with six wickets in hand.

Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli takes a diving catch during a fielding practice session on the eve of the fourth test match against South Africa in New Delhi on Thursday. REUTERS/Anindito Mukherjee

Kohli smashed 10 fours in his composed 154-ball knock and shared 133 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket with first-innings centurion Ajinkya Rahane (52) to pull India out from a shaky 57-4.

The Indian skipper completed his 12th Test half-century in the process, delighting a sizeable home crowd at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in New Delhi.

India, who have already sealed the series with wins in the first and third Tests, had bowled out the top-ranked tourists for 121 after making 334 for a first-innings lead of 213 runs.

Kohli's stand with Rahane, who top-scored with 127 in his first outing, was the first century-stand of what had been a low-scoring series so far.

With the Kotla pitch likely to deteriorate on the fourth and fifth days, it will be an uphill task for the Proteas to breach India's run wall.

The visitors have been bowled out under 200 five times out of six innings in the series.