Chennai (PTI): Virender Sehwag led India's riposte with a feisty unbeaten fifty as the hosts refused to be buried under South Africa's run mountain and promised a runfeast in the first cricket Test here on Thursday.

After the visitors capitalised on the M A Chidambaram Stadium's lifeless track and India's listless attack to amass 540, Sehwag (52) and Jaffer (25) responded well to take India to 82 for no loss at stumps on the second day.

Sehwag's unbeaten 52 came off 61 balls and included six boundaries and a six.

Even though the hosts got off to a good start, they still trail by 458 runs and just cannot afford to get carried away, especially when they need another 259 runs to escape the ignominy of a follow-on.

Not to be bogged down by South Africa's mammoth score, Sehwag and Jaffer began with a flurry with the Delhi opener deciding to set the tone and Makhaya Ntini bearing the brunt of his belligerence.

In Ntini's first over, Sehwag first drove him for four and followed it up with an upper cut that cleared the vacant third man boundary for a six.

Sehwag's daredevilry proved contagious as an otherwise sedate Jaffer repeated the trick in the sixth over with Ntini again at the receiving end. Both the openers will return tomorrow to continue the good work and reduce the gap.