Images: India vs South Africa, 1st Test, Day 2, Nagpur

Hashim Amla's (253 not out) double ton put South Africa in a commanding position as the Proteas declared on 558 for six on Day 2 of the first Test in Nagpur on Sunday.

Resuming the day with an overnight score of 291 for two, Amla played aggressively, while his overnight partner Jacques Kallis treaded the cautious path.

Amla's 340-run stand with Kallis, whose 351-ball 173 included 15 fours besides a couple of sixes, was the cornerstone of South African innings.

India got the breakthrough just past the hour mark in the morning, when Harbhajan had Kallis caught at short leg by Murali Vijay.

The day belonged to Amla, who frustrated the Indian bowlers with his unflappable concentration.

India's slipshod fielding also helped his cause and the home side had only themselves to blame as they let Amla off the hook on as many as four occasions during the right-hander's 473-ball innings which included 22 boundaries.

After enjoying some good fortune yesterday - he was dropped twice - Amla's luck continued to shine on him after Vijay put down a bat-pad catch when the batsman was on 149 and later Harbhajan Singh suffered the agony of seeing the next delivery also kissing the bat and going past Dhoni's gloves on the leg side.

Amla played the spinners with great elan and reached his double hundred in the second session of play and found an able ally in AB de Villiers.

This is Amla's highest score in Test cricket, surpassing his previous best of an unbeaten 176 he achieved against New Zealand at the Wanderers in 2007.

He also became only the second South African batsman to score a double hundred against India - after De Villiers had managed the feat (217 not out) at Motera during their last tour.

Amla looked a zone where he played everything with consummate ease.

He was well supported by AB de Villiers (53), who chipped in with a useful half-century.

Virender Sehwag finally got the breakthrough when de Villiers stepped out to swing him to leg and got a leading edge to backward point fielder S Badrinath.

Harbhajan then trapped JP Duminy (9) too but Amla added another 78 runs with veteran Mark Boucher (39 off 75 balls) to frustrate the hosts and guide the side past the 550-mark, before South Africa declared their first innings at 558 for six, hoping to make some early dents in the remaining four overs of the day.

For India, Zaheer Khan (3 for 96) was the most successful bowler, while Harbhajan Singh picked just two wickets at the cost of 166 runs.

In reply, Indian openers, Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, got off to a good start and ended the day on 25 without losing any wickets.