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Tea South Africa 201 for 5 (de Villiers 40*, Peterson 2*, Rahat 3-57) v Pakistan
Before the start of the Test Pakistan received the unpleasant news that two of their main bowlers won't be available - Umar Gul out due to a sore throat and Junaid Khan still recovering from the injury that kept him out of the Newlands Test - leaving their pace attack with a total of only two caps coming into the match. South Africa also had an injury-related jolt as Jacques Kallis was forced out with a calf problem he picked up during an optional training session.
Two sessions into the game, it is Pakistan who are dealing with the losses better than South Africa. Though the visitors' raw attack wasn't consistently threatening and offered plenty of freebies, they managed to strike regularly to dismiss half the South Africa side by tea. Till about half an hour to the end of the second session, the hosts were ahead as Hashim Amla extended the form that made him the world's No. 1 Test batsman to serve up a stylish 92. Towards the end of the session, though, Rahat Ali struck twice, first removing Amla and then Dean Elgar to lift Pakistan.
Before the start of the Test Pakistan received the unpleasant news that two of their main bowlers won't be available - Umar Gul out due to a sore throat and Junaid Khan still recovering from the injury that kept him out of the Newlands Test - leaving their pace attack with a total of only two caps coming into the match. South Africa also had an injury-related jolt as Jacques Kallis was forced out with a calf problem he picked up during an optional training session.
Two sessions into the game, it is Pakistan who are dealing with the losses better than South Africa. Though the visitors' raw attack wasn't consistently threatening and offered plenty of freebies, they managed to strike regularly to dismiss half the South Africa side by tea. Till about half an hour to the end of the second session, the hosts were ahead as Hashim Amla extended the form that made him the world's No. 1 Test batsman to serve up a stylish 92. Towards the end of the session, though, Rahat Ali struck twice, first removing Amla and then Dean Elgar to lift Pakistan.