South Africa were 25 for the loss of one wicket at tea on the second day of the second Castle Lager Test against Pakistan at St George’s Park on Saturday.
They trail Pakistan by 116.
South Africa finally managed to bowl Pakistan out for 265, but not before Inzamam Ul-Haq and tail-ender Mohammad Asif had frustrated them for an hour and a half, and put on 74 for the last wicket. Inzamam -‒ who came in at number eight after being off the field for a long period with a shoulder injury -‒ played superbly, protecting his partner and farming the strike. He was on 31 when Asif came in, and had taken his score to 92 by the time Makhaya Ntini bowled Asif for seven. If he had reached 100, it would have been his first century against South Africa, and would have given him a century against every Test playing country.
Pakistan had a first innings lead of 141.
Graeme Smith fell in the ninth over, caught in the slips by Inzamam off Asif for 10.
Shoaib Akhtar, who took four for 36 after a break of nearly a year from Test cricket, did not come out before tea. He is apparently suffering from a hamstring injury. His
absence would be a relief for South Africa, as the Rawalpindi Express had the South Africans in a lot of trouble on the first day.
It would be a disaster for Pakistan, who would be without their leading strike bowler.
At tea, AB de Villiers was not out on 10, while Hashim Amla had two. – Sapa