Cricket-India turn screw on struggling South Africa

* India lead by 145 with eight second-innings wickets left * Morkel sent to hospital for scan on ankle * Wicketkeeper De Villiers handed ball over Tahir By Nick Said JOHANNESBURG, Dec 20 (Reuters) - India took control of the first test against South Africa as they moved carefully on to 109 for two at tea on the third day on Friday. The touring side led by 145 runs on a tricky pitch which will make chasing anything over 250 in the fourth innings a challenging task for South Africa, who are a bowler light after Morne Morkel was sent to hospital due to an ankle injury. Cheteshwar Pujara (39 not out) and first-innings centurion Virat Kohli (six not out) will resume after the interval knowing that a good session with the bat will leave their side in a commanding position with two days left. The only wicket to fall in the afternoon session was that of Murali Vijay (39), who edged Jacques Kallis to wicketkeeper AB de Villiers. Captain Graeme Smith has a further worry in that regular leg-spinner Imran Tahir has bowled so poorly that De Villiers was given the last over before tea with Hashim Amla donning the keeper's gloves, a sign of how little confidence Smith has in his slow bowler. Paceman Vernon Philander earlier become the fastest South African to take 100 test wickets when he enticed Shikhar Dhawan (15) to steer the ball to second slip Kallis, who took his 199th catch in test cricket. Philander claimed his 100th victim in his 19th test, the joint-sixth quickest to the milestone in tests, and he reached the mark one match faster than South Africa's previous record-holder, Dale Steyn. The tourists made short work of the South African tail in the morning session, despite a battling half-century from Philander, dismissing the hosts for 244 as they picked up the final four wickets for the addition of 31 runs. Philander (59) resumed with Faf de Plessis (20) and hit the first ball of the morning for four to reach his third test 50. But he was the first to go when he edged Zaheer Khan to Ravichandran Ashwin at first slip, ending a seventh-wicket partnership of 80 with Du Plessis that rescued the home side from a precarious 146 for six. Steyn (10) was pouched at slip by Rohit Sharma to become Ishant Sharma's fourth victim, before Zaheer had Du Plessis caught behind and bowled Morkel (seven). Zaheer finished with figures of four for 88 and Sharma was four for 79. (editing by Ed Osmond; nick.said@thomsonreuters.com +27832722948 Messaging nick.said.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net; To sign up for our Global Sports Forum chatroom, click on https://forms.thomsonreuters.com/global_sports_forum)