Pakistan avoided defeat in the first Test of the series against South Africa in Dubai through a miraculous effort by Younis Khan and Misbah ul Haq. But http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 started the second Test also as favourites as they have a much better balance in their team
as compared to Pakistan who their frontline bowlers.
The track at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi had much more life in it than the pitch at Dubai but still it was a track that is more suitable to the batsman as compared to bowlers. Any strong Test playing nation would have chosen to bat on this and try
to pile-up a big score but Pakistani captain Misbah ul Haq won the toss and surprisingly decided to bowl first.
This may have been because of the tentative batting line-up that Pakistan have and may be Pakistani management did not want to expose their batting on a pitch that was bound to give some support to the seamers before lunch on day 1.
However, initially it looked as if it was a good decision by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 as South Africa lost 3 early wickets in the first session. Tanvir Ahmed, who was making his Test debut, impressed one and all with his ability to swing the new ball. After some early blows,
South Africa bounced back and decided to counter-attack.
Muhammad Sami who is making a come back in the Pakistani team did not look in a good rhythm and was all over the place. He gave away too many runs to Kallis and de Villiers and let the South Africans off the hook. It was not only Sami, in fact Gul and Tanvir
also provided the South Africans too many loose balls. The South Africans maintained a very good run-rate throughout their innings.
Kallis scored a brilliant 105 off only 147 balls with 3 huge sixes and 12 fours. Pakistan was a little unlucky as Kallis and de Villiers both were given not out when they were clearly trapped in front of the stumps after lunch by Sami and Abdul Rehman respectively.
With de Villiers going on and playing a brilliant innings of 278 not out, South Africa piled up a mammoth score, Smith decided to declare the innings at 584 for the loss of 9 wickets. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AB-de-Villiers-c887 scored the highest individual score by any South African
against Pakistan. One thinks that he should have been given a chance to score a triple hundred as he was 22 runs away but cricket is a team game in which the records look sweet only if they come along the way.
Tanvir took 6 for 120 and became the 6th Pakistani to have taken a 5-wicket haul on his Test debut. But apart from Tanvir, none of the Pakistani bowlers impressed.
Pakistan had to face an early blow as Muhammad Hafeez was trapped in front of the wickets by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Dale-c52110 Steyn in the very first over of the Pakistan innings. From there onwards, Azhar Ali and Taufeeq Umer stabilised Pakistan with a second wicket stand of 117 runs.
At one stage, Pakistan looked in deep trouble when they lost 3 quick wickets on day 3 and were 156 for 4. However, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shafiq-c89281 making a sold 61 in his debut innings and Misbah still at the crease on 77.
But the highlight of Pakistani innings so far has been the youngster Azhar Ali who once again impressed with a timely knock of 90.
At the close of play on day 3, Pakistan was 317 runs for the loss of 6 wickets, still needing 67 runs to avoid the follow-on.
The first target for Misbah and Pakistan on day 4 would be to avoid the follow-on.
Pakistan has a battle in their hands to save this Test match and to make sure that they do not lose the series. Although the option of a victory is not open for Pakistan but it would be interesting to see Pakistan’s approach the game tomorrow.
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