Rohit Sharma smashed a century in his first start as Test opener as India reached 202 without loss at tea on the opening day of their series against South Africa on Wednesday.

Sharma -- a star of India's limited-overs teams -- reached 115 and Mayank Agarwal 84 after the hosts elected to bat first in Visakhapatnam and made South Africa toil.

He hit five sixes and 12 fours from 174 balls faced up to the break and showed frequent glimpses of the form that has made him a feared ODI batsman.

"I think it suits my game," Sharma told reporters. "Just wear the pads and go in to bat. I don't like the waiting game.”

"You know the bowlers who are bowling with the new ball, so the game plan is easier for you... At number six, the ball is reversing, field placement is different, and you need to keep all those things in mind,” he said.

Sharma completed his fourth Test century in the second session with a single off debutant spinner Senuran Muthusamy to raucous cheers from the home crowd.

Agarwal, like Sharma, also used his feet to good effect against the South African spinners who struggled on the batting-friendly pitch.

Playing his fifth Test since making his debut last year, Agarwal raised his fourth half-century with a six off Keshav Maharaj.

Both Sharma and Agarwal -- who hit 11 fours and two sixes -- took apart the opposition bowling in the second session of play as India scored 111 runs after taking lunch at 91-0.

Sharma, who got to his 50 before lunch, shifted gears and went after the slow bowlers as he hammered off-spinner Danie Piedt for two successive sixes to move into the nineties.

"We wanted to use our feet and get closer to the ball and then obviously those are my shots that I play, and I wanted to back myself and back my game," said Sharma.

Philander, who got Sharma out for a two-ball duck in a practice game last week, tested the senior batsman early on in the innings by swinging the ball both ways.

Read: Trolls galore as Rohit Sharma's stint at top flounders

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis rotated his spinners, led by Keshav Maharaj, for a large part of the day with intermittent spells from pacemen Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander.

India, who top the ICC World Test Championship rankings, are looking for a record 11th Test series win at home.

A sudden thunderstorm forced the umpires to call tea early, and no further play was possible after heavy rains lashed the coastal city and washed out the final session.

Feature Image Courtesy: AFP/ Noah Seelam

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South AfricaKagiso RabadaFaf du PlessisIndia vs South AfricaMayank AgarwalIndiaRohit Sharma