South Africa 180 for 1 (Elgar 86*, van der Dussen 8*) trail Sri Lanka 396 (Chandimal 85, de Silva 79, Sipamla 4-76) by 216 runs

Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram sped to half-centuries as South Africa regained parity (if not quite control), in an excellent batting session, against a depleted and indisciplined Sri Lanka attack. The hosts lost only the wicket of Markram - for 68 off 94 - and racked up 135 runs off 27 overs in the session.

Elgar was only 14 runs short of what would be a 13th Test century by tea, with Rassie van der Dussen on eight for company. South Africa's run rate of 4.73 outstripped even Sri Lanka's scoring rate on day one. They are now only 216 runs in the red, with nine wickets in hand, and with the opposition contending with a potentially match-ending injury for frontline seam bowler Kasun Rajitha. Earlier in the day it had been confirmed that Dhananajaya de Silva, who bowls offspin in addition to batting, is out of the series with a grade two tear in his thigh.

It had been Markram who had made the big moves to set South Africa hurtling on their way, either side of lunch. He drove sumptuously in the arc between cover and mid on, as Sri Lanka's quicks went looking for swing and pitched the ball up. Lahiru Kumara got a taste of Markram's excellent form when he was hit for two boundaries in his first over after lunch. But he wasn't just good against the drive-able lengths. He flicked balls away off his hip, and also carved them behind square on the offside when given room to free his shoulders. His half-century came off just 64 balls, with 44 of his runs having been scored in boundaries.

Elgar batted in Markram's slipstream to start with, but at no stage seemed to be struggling. He survived a hopeful lbw appeal and review against Dasun Shanaka first ball after lunch, but worked himself into his innings with relative quietness, before playing more expansively after Markram reached his half-century. He was especially good through the leg side, as Sri Lanka went at his body, and he was severe on debutant legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga, whom he clobbered for three successive square boundaries to reach his own fifty, off 71 balls.

With about 40 minutes to go in the session, Markram was caught in the gully off the bowling of Vishwa Fernando, as he attempted another booming drive. But his partner's departure did not temper Elgar, who was by now picking off a plethora of loose deliveries with aplomb. Sri Lanka may rethink their strategy of bowling at Elgar's body (if it was a strategy). He was never bothered by it.

Short of two important bowlers, Sri Lanka struggled to bowl to their fields. Kumara bowled with good pace, frequently reaching 90mph/145kph, but rarely put two good overs together. His bouncers also repeatedly climbed over Niroshan Dickwella and went for four byes, as had been the case with Anrich Nortje's short balls when South Africa were bowling. Hasaranga, the legspinner, was even more indisciplined, frequently dropping the ball too short, and rarely giving it enough air to threaten the batsmen.

Fernando kept things relatively tight, finding seam movement right through his spells in the session. It was apt that only he has been rewarded with a wicket.