Pakistan 317 for 6 (Ali 90, Misbah 77*, Shafiq 61, Steyn 3-78) trail South Africa 584 for 9 declared (de Villiers 278*, Kallis 105, Ahmed 6-120) by 267 runs Pakistan found a good time to put up one of their most resolute collective batting displays of the year, defying South Africa through an engrossing second day at the Shaikh Zayed Stadium. Three from the middle-order made half-centuries as they edged closer to saving the follow-on, but South Africa did enough throughout to keep a door to victory open.
Dale Steyn finally roused South Africa to life at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, taking a couple of key wickets to keep Pakistan firmly on the back foot on the second day. Steyn dismissed the well-set Azhar Ali and Younis Khan in successive overs after tea to unhinge Pakistan but debutant Asad Shafiq and Misbah-ul-Haq steadied matters a little to prevent further damage.
But this is the thing about world-class bowlers. They may not be up to much for a session or more, but eventually their quality will be out. No matter how far away you get from them, it never seems far enough. So it was with Pakistan today who, with Ali at the centre, had built a nice solid, impenetrable wall around them this morning.
Steyn had probed rather than threatened as Pakistan moved along mostly untouched. It had been the way since his return from injury in the last Test and the pace hasn't yet touched the peaks it can. But lunch helped him find some rhythm and swing; immediately he was tempting a restless Younis into nibbling at delicious, late-blooming outswingers.
A few overs later temptation became downfall. Younis squeezed a drive through gully but a ball later, reaching out again, drove straight to cover. It was infectious, for in his next over, Azhar drove loosely as well this time straight to mid-off. It wasn't unplayable stuff, just very good discipline playing on the famous impatience of these opponents and similar to his real breakthrough performance against the same opponents in Karachi three years ago.
Each of Pakistan's dismissals, however, was as soft as a toddler's cheeks and they undid the good work of Azhar and Taufeeq Umar. The pair put together a vital 117-run partnership that spanned much of the morning frustrating South Africa.
Azhar was its centrifugal force. He is rare among his younger countrymen in that he seems wired for Tests specifically. He has been this year's sleeper hit for Pakistani batting and even in his shorter innings in England earlier this year he looked the business. That impression has solidified in this series and another well-judged fifty was the result. There was more oomph to his third half-century of the series than the other two and not only because the fields were attacking and open.
He took on both Steyn and Morne Morkel whenever the opportunity arose but was most impressive holding off the latter in a brief burst of short-pitched bowling. Having hurt his thumb in the first Test, Morkel came round the wicket and aimed for his ribs. Azhar was jumpy but a thumping pull to bring up the fifty put paid to that plan temporarily. Later, as Morkel returned to try his luck again, he pulled him even more emphatically. Off the backfoot, in fact he is most elegant, as Steyn found when he punched him through covers occasionally.
Until then, Steyn had found little swing and Morkel little disconcerting bounce from anything fuller than halfway down. South Africa experimented at least, bizarrely trying a few overs of Johan Botha the seamer not spinner. A first ton was there for Ali's taking; instead he now has two nineties.
But his resistance spread later as Misbah and Shafiq put on a bright 64-run stand. Shafiq's quick feet and confidence were particularly bright, more so against Botha the spinner. Much, much more lies in wait.
Source: http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan-v-south-africa-2010/content/current/story/488381.html
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