Nagpur, Feb 8 - Virender Sehwag scored a brisk century while Subramaniam Badrinath made an unbeaten half century on debut to steady Indian innings at tea on the third day of the first cricket Test against South Africa here Monday.

Sehwag scored 109 off 139 balls with 15 fours before being dismissed by left-arm seamer Wayne Parnell. But that was the only wicket India lost in the second session.

India reached 221 for four at tea with Badrinath, making his Test debut, batting on 56 whle Mahendra Singh Dhoni (6) was at the other end. India still trail by 337 runs.

Sehwag and Badrinath shared a 136-run stand to pull India out of trouble after South African pacers reduced the hosts to 56/3.

India added 102 runs in the session with Sehwag and Badrinath steadying the Indian innings. In the morning session, Dale Steyn (2-32) and Morne Morkel (1-31) had rattled the Indian top order, bowling with pace and extracting considerable bounce and movement from the wicket.

Sehwag and Badrinath did the repair job and were unseparated at lunch. The two continued to build on the innings in the second session.

Sehwag played in his inimitable style, stroking the ball with his gifted timing to reach his 18th Test ton.

Badrinath, with loads of first class experience, showed good technique to weather the storm. He played with calm assurance and was never rattled, not even when Steyn exchanged a few words with him.

Badrinath played 138 balls and stroked seven exquisitely timed fours.

Earlier, resuming at 25 without loss, India lost Gautam Gambhir in the second over of the morning and the very first ball the left-hander faced.

A beautiful angling delivery from Morkel caught Gambhir on the crease and the in-form batsman edged behind to wicket-keeper Mark Boucher.

The tall Morkel worked up ferocious pace, touching 145 kmph consistently. He was accurate with his line, probing the batsmen round the off-stump. Steyn, at the other end, troubled Sehwag and Murali Vijay, who replaced injured Rahul Dravid in the match, with his away going deliveries.

Sehwag, however, was never hesitant to free his arm whenever he got a chance.

Steyn finally got the better of Vijay, who was wrong in judging the delivery and left it but the ball nipped back sharply to crash into his stumps.

Steyn bowled a nagging line to Tendulkar, who played 16 balls for his seven, before edging one behind. (IANS)