LAHORE: After being set a highly improbable 451 for victory Pakistan will be reasonably satisfied with their batting effort as the fourth day came to a close with the green shirts losing only two wickets in more than 40 overs of play.
Pakistan ended the day at 109-2. They still have to bat out the 90 overs on the final day, but with Dale Steyn bothered by an elbow injury and not to his full potential, South Africa aren’t as much in control as they would have liked.
For Pakistan Azhar Ali is playing sensibly again with 37 off 83 balls while Younis Khan is there on 11. The day began with South Africa in firm control at 139-2 and 271 runs ahead.
Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis, the two overnight notout batsmen, had little trouble against an uninspired Pakistani bowling line whose bowlers looked clueless as to how to dislodge the two classy batsmen on such a flat pitch and were more into the containment mode.
Both Amla and Kallis played their strokes at will as runs came at a decent pace with the Proteas looking to declare.
Amla was the first to reach his hundred which he brought up of 190 balls (his 11th in Tests) while Kallis also reached the landmark soon after off 185 balls (his 36th in Tests).
Kallis was slightly more aggressive than Amla as both scored boundaries at will. South Africa eventually declared their innings close at 318-2 with Amla unbeaten on 118 while Kallis was notout on 135 as South Africa set Pakistan 451 to win with one and a half days to spare.
In reply Pakistan openers started off positively which was good to see as both Mohammad Hafeez and Taufeeq Umar played their strokes confidently. However Hafeez perished to Dale Steyn and was caught in the slips for 34 while Taufeeq, who was also driving the ball well, fell to Johan Botha for 22.
The pitch has become pretty slow and if you apply yourself well and play the ball on merit you can safely negotiate any bowler. Azhar Ali continued with his good show of the first innings and made a resolute 37 notout by the end of day’s play.
He has an able partner in veteran Younis Khan at the other end. Now on day five Pakistanis should be aiming to bat sensibly and not try anything adventurous. Overall the batting line isn’t reliable and if Pakistanis try to go for the remaining 342 runs they may loose the plot.
South Africans meanwhile will be quietly confident on a deteriorating pitch and will bowl tightly to create pressure which can fetch them the remaining eight Pakistani wickets.
Star of the day: Jacques Kallis is a class act and he gave Pakistanis another show of his class and experience on day four of the first Test. He started the day at 32 and went about his innings serenely.
He first brought up his 50 off 96 balls and then reached his 36th Test hundred off 190 balls stroking the ball crisply and not being troubled by any bowler.
He remained unbeaten on 135 as South Africans declared their innings to set Pakistan 451 to win.
Moment that Mattered: Pakistan had a tough task at the start of day four – to dismiss the well set Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis.
Pakistan bowlers failed in this task as both Amla and Kallis played all bowlers with consummate ease to add 242 for the third wicket and to add more misery for the Pakistanis on another hot day.
This solid partnership of theirs enabled South Africa to reach 318-2 without any fuss and set Pakistan a highly unlikely 451 to win.
