The critics are already lining up to berate the placidity of the pitch, and I would agree that this has not been Test cricket at its best because there is no genuine contest between bat and ball. But cricket in India can often be like this for long stretches, only for the game to ignite when one team finds reverse swing or a chink in the opposition's armour. Sometimes it is a waiting game.

In Mohali in 2008 a draw seemed a certainty while India were batting in their first innings, only for their bowlers to show just how ineffective Australia's had been as the tourists slumped to 102 for four with Michael Clarke out off the final delivery of day two.

And in the last Test here the match seemed to be dead after three days, especially with India plainly content with the draw as they employed negative bowling tactics, but then Shane Watson and Brett Lee found some purchase to rattle the Indian middle order midway through day four. Of course Ricky Ponting let things slip after tea but it was telling that Australia couldn't even come close to batting out the final day, despite having all 10 wickets in hand.

Of course for every slow burner with a late ignition there's a Chennai (India v SA) and a Delhi (India v Australia) where the runs scored seem totally lacking in value, but the two examples above are worth mentioning because they show how patience is a crucial virtue on the subcontinent.

Defensive fields are often required for long periods of time - something Ricky Ponting mentioned frequently on Australia's tour here in 2008 - but equally important is knowing when to attack. While the number of slips you have in place is often the biggest question for a captain in South Africa or England, here things can be much more technical than that.

Regardless of the conditions, the innings played by Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla have been superb, notable for two things in particular.

First is the powers of concentration they showed as they collectively batted for more than 18 hours, defending for long periods so they could capitalise when the bowlers' frustration got the better of them.

The other was their technical prowess. Kallis' defence seems to become increasingly impregnable as the years wear on, with England the only country where his record has been underwhelming.

Amla still has a tendency to be slow getting forward early in his innings, and thus susceptible to the quick inswinger. But on slower pitches against bowlers who only get into the 130s, that flaw is largely irrelevant and the rest of his game is well suited to the subcontinent.

Such technical solidity provides peace of mind for both batsmen when they're at the crease together, which has allowed Kallis to play the sort of expansive game we saw from him on day one.

If there was one criticism of Amla, it was that he failed to increase the scoring rate when it became apparent that South Africa's first-innings fate was in their own hands.

Nevertheless Kallis claimed after the second day's play that the Proteas always wanted to keep the new ball fresh for the morning session on day three.

"There definitely is a bit in the wicket in the mornings, which hopefully we can exploit tomorrow," he said.

The opening hour seems quite likely to determine whether we have another slow burner which brings a result, or whether we just have a slow burner.