A batting collapse left Pakistan on 176 for six in their second innings at tea on the third day of the third Test, while South Africa moved closer to a series whitewash at Centurion yesterday.
Pakistan require another 77 runs to make South Africa bat again, although an unbeaten seventh-wicket stand of 62, at almost a run a ball, from Sarfraz Ahmed (27) and Saeed Ajmal (30) has frustrated the hosts’ victory charge.
Starting the day on 14 for one, Pakistan showed some fighting spirit, losing only Younus Khan (11), who played a thick edge off Dale Steyn to Graeme Smith at first slip, in the morning session.
Azhar Ali (27) and Imran Farhat put on 54 for the third wicket before the former ran himself out in calamitous fashion.
Farhat worked the ball to fine leg and after running one, Ali turned for a second at the wicketkeeper’s end. He was always struggling against the bullet throw of Steyn from the boundary and in the end was well short.
Pakistan lost two more wickets with the score on 107 as they began to implode.
Kyle Abbott picked up his eighth wicket of the match when Farhat (43) slashed at a wide delivery and was caught by wicketkeeper A.B. de Villiers.
Captain Misbah-ul-Haq (5) then became Rory Kleinveldt’s first wicket of the game when he got a thin edge to a ball. Kleinveldt soon took a second when Asad Shafiq (6) scooped a delivery to Vernon Philander at mid-off.
South Africa made 409 in their first innings.
They lead the three-match series 2-0.
INDIA V AUSTRALIA
Staff writer
Cricketers the world over showered praise on India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for smashing a double-ton on day three of the first Test against Australia yesterday.
Dhoni scored an unbeaten 206 to take India to 515/8, to give the hosts a lead of 135 runs with two days left in the match. During his innings, which included 22 boundaries and five massive sixes, he scored at a strike rate of 84.77.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan tweeted: “The coolest man in world cricket M.S. Dhoni delivers when it most matters. Incredible innings against the Aussies.”
In the process, Dhoni also crossed the 4,000-run mark in Test cricket. He also has the highest individual score by an Indian wicketkeeper-batsman when he surpassed Budhi Kunderan’s 192.
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