Pakistan made a strong start to their second innings yesterday but still face an imposing target to win the second Test against South Africa on the final day.
South Africa's captain Graeme Smith and in-form Jacques Kallis hit patient centuries earlier yesterday to help South Africa set up an improbable victory target of 457 runs for Pakistan.
Pakistan lost opener Salman Butt early, but then steadied through Kamran Akmal (49) and Younis Khan (48) to finish the fourth day at 108-1 -- needing a further 349 runs on the last day to level the two-match series.
PHOTO: AFP
No team has ever successfully chased so many runs in Test history, with West Indies holding the world record 418-run chase against Australia at Antigua in 2003.
Smith (133) got an overdue hundred and Kallis followed his two centuries in the first Test victory last week with an unbeaten 107 before South Africa declared its second innings at 305-4 at tea for an overall lead of 456 runs.
Pakistan were skittled out for 206 in their first innings in reply to South Africa's 357.
Kallis and Smith shared a double century partnership (207 runs) and frustrated a depleted Pakistan bowling attack for five hours. It was a South African record for the third wicket against Pakistan.
Kallis hit seven boundaries in his 27th Test century, faced 242 balls and hit eight boundaries. He took his aggregate in the two-Test series to 421 runs after scoring 155, 100-not-out and 59 in his previous three knocks.
Kaneria (1-99), who bowled nearly 45 overs, finally broke the partnership when Smith top-edged a sweep shot to substitute fielder Yasir Hameed at point.
Rehman (1-112), who also had a lengthy stint of 42 overs, then clean-bowled Ashwell Prince (11).
Smith faced 296 balls in six-and-a-half hours, hitting 17 boundaries, to post his first Test century in two years just before lunch.
Resuming at the overnight total of 154-2, Smith and Kallis scored at a slow pace and added only 57 more runs in the first session before the acceleration came in a second session that yielded 94 runs.
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