South Africa have an uphill battle to save the second Castle Lager Test against Pakistan at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth. At stumps on the third day, Pakistan — chasing 191 to win — had eight without loss.
Despite being without Shoaib Akhtar, who has a hamstring injury, Pakistan had South Africa on the back foot for most of the day.
Hopes that Jacques Kallis and Ashwell Prince would put on a really significant partnership faded quickly when Prince was given out lbw to Danish Kaneria for 22, with just two more runs added to the overnight total of 115 for three. Their fourth-wicket partnership was worth 56 runs.
Kallis and Herschelle Gibbs were striking the ball well and, once again, South African fans pinned their hopes on a big partnership to help South Africa build a defendable total.
The new ball was taken 12 minutes before lunch, and Mohammad Asif made good use of it after the break, when he got the vital scalps of Gibbs and Kallis.
He had Gibbs in trouble in the third over after lunch, with two confident leg-before appeals, and finally got his man when Gibbs edged the ball to Younis Khan at first slip. Gibbs was out for 40. He and Kallis had put on 78 runs together.
Jacques Kallis, who had been playing magnificently, appeared to be heading towards his 25th Test century when he was given out lbw to Asif for 91. He had batted for just less than five hours, and faced 226 balls.
Mark Boucher and Shaun Pollock — veterans of more than 100 Tests each — looked as if they might take the game away from Pakistan. Their 50 partnership came up in an hour and seven minutes, and included five fours and a six.
They went to tea on 277 for six, but once again the break did the damage and ended the partnership on 80.
Danish Kaneria caught Pollock off his own bowling for 36 in the third over after tea, and Boucher went five overs later when he was caught at first slip by Younis Khan off Asif for 46.
Paul Harris lasted just three balls before he was caught at short leg by substitute Faisal Iqbal, but Andre Nel and Makhaya Ntini frustrated Pakistan with a vigorous partnership of 41. They both appeared unintimidated by the Pakistan attack and hit five fours between them.
Ntini was finally caught by Yasir Hameed off Kaneria for 18, and Nel ended not out on 23 — his highest Test score. South Africa were all out for 331.
It was a day on which several South Africans got going, but failed to deliver significant scores.
There were also several good partnerships, but superb bowling by Pakistan kept the South Africans in check.
Kaneria ended the innings with four wickets for 105 off 51,2 overs, and Asif took five for 76 off 38 for his fourth five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
At close of play, Pakistan had eight without loss. They still need 183 to win the Test and level the series.
With two days of play left, South Africa will be hard pressed to deny them victory, but Kallis believed it could be done.
”The wicket has done something all day,” he said. ”Just when you think you’re in, something happens, so if we get the ball in the right areas tomorrow, we believe we can do it.
”We’d have liked a few more runs — unfortunately, we lost wickets at key stages, but we wanted a minimum of 200 and we were nearly there.
”If our bowlers get the ball in the right areas, it’s not going to be easy chasing down that total. We’ve chased down that sort of total a few times, and we know what sort of pressure the batsmen will be under.
”The roles are reversed now, and we’re on the other side of the game. The wicket’s a little bit slow, but it’s still good for batting. But there is something in it for the bowlers, so it should be an interesting contest.”
Asif said he believed the match was in the balance, but that Pakistan had a good chance of winning. — Sapa