Pakistan loses Test for second time in Karachi

KARACHI: After a bold attempt to chase huge 424-run target Pakistan gave up the fight and were all out for 263 before tea on the fifth and the final day here at the National Stadium on Friday to give South Africa the 160-run victory.

This is for the second time in Test history that Pakistan has lost a match in Karachi. Earlier, England beat them here in 2000-01.

Younus Khan scored a brilliant century today and kept alive the hopes of Pakistan chasing an impossible target but finally he got out at 126. It was his 13th Test hundred and the first against South Africa.

Among others, only Faisal Iqbal (44) and captain Shoaib Malik (30) could make significant scores.

Dale Steyn was the most successful bowler from South Africa who captured five wickets for 56. Andre Nel and Paul Harris claimed two wickets each and Makhaya Nitni took one wicket.

The summarized scores were:
SA: 450 ( JH Kallis 155, AB de Villiers 77, HM Amla 71, HH Gibbs 54, Abdul Rehman 4-105) and 264-7 dec. (JH Kallis 100 not out, Abdul Rehman 4-105).
Pak: 291(Shoaib Malik 73, PL Harris 5-73)and 263 (Younus Khan 126, DW Steyn 5-56).

The second and the final Test will be played in Lahore from Monday.

Pakistan chasing record 424 target set by SA

KARACHI: The first of the two Test series between Pakistan and South Africa has entered into an interesting stage when Pakistan’s young team is chasing a daunting target of 424 to win and made 146 for three by the close of play on the fourth day with Younus Khan batting on 93.

They are required to score 278 more with seven wickets in hand and besides Younus, there are in-form batsmen - Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal - to bat with determination.

After two early dismissals, Younus Khan and Faisal Iqbal got together and fought bravely to take score to 134 when Faisal departed on 44 in the last moments. At stumps, Pakistan were 146 for three with Younus batting at 93 and night watchman Muhammad Asif at one.

Younus has played 99 balls and hit 14 fours and one six in his. With Faisal, he added 114 runs for the third wicket. Faisal faced 69 balls and hit eight fours.

Earlier, South Africa declared their second innings at 264 for seven and set Pakistan a daunting target of 424 to win the match, after Jacques Kallis reached his second hundred of the match. He became the fourth South African to score centuries in each innings of a Test, but his stubborn and flawless unbeaten 100 was in sharp contrast to his 155 in the first innings, during which he was dropped twice.

Other main scorers were Ashwell Prince (45) and Andre Nel (33) where as left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman finished on identical figures of four wickets for 105, in the second innings also, thus claiming eight for 110 in his debut Test. leg-spinner Danish Kaneria captured three wickets.

South Africa in control after Pakistan's batting collapse

A middle-order collapse inspired by Paul Harris gave South Africa the upper hand at the end of the second day of the first Test in Karachi. Mohammad Hafeez and Kamran Akmal, who was opening the innings due to Salman Butt's illness, put on 71 in 14 overs before five wickets fell for 49 runs to leave Pakistan trailing by 323 runs on a pitch assisting spinners immensely.

Pakistan looked set to emulate South Africa with the bat as Akmal and Hafeez, their ninth opening combination in the last 16 Tests, began with some lovely drives on either side of the wicket. Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn built up a good pace and a few anxious moments were witnessed when Akmal played away from his body and edged either past the diving slips or between gully and point.

The slide began when Harris replaced Ntini, who was driven and cut past point for boundaries by Akmal. Getting sharp turn with his loop and quick bounce by pitching it slightly short, Harris had Akmal stretching forward to an arm ball and struck plumb in front. It was not only the batsmen that Harris troubled with his bounce - he hit Mark Boucher on the cheek with a ball that spun and beat the batsman.

Harris then accounted for Hafeez, brilliantly caught at first slip by Jacques Kallis, whose day only got better when he removed a shaky Faisal Iqbal off an inside edge. Pakistan's batsmen, missing the cue from Kallis' splendid innings, failed to apply themselves - Misbah-ul-Haq edged a slower Steyn delivery way outside offstump - and played loose strokes away from their bodies. Pakistan will need a spirited performance from Shoaib Malik, their captain, and the tail to avoid the follow-on.

South Africa, meanwhile, had looked all set to post a 500-plus total in their first innings before the debutant Abdur Rehman, who bowls left-arm spin, utilised the crumbling pitch to pick up four wickets.

Bowling unchanged after lunch, Rehman varied his length well while using the bowler's footmarks outside the right-handers' leg-stump to force the batsmen into a defensive mode. It was this tactic that got rid of Mark Boucher, who swept outside leg stump and gave Akmal an easy catch as the ball popped up in the air. His probing length was rewarded once again as Andre Nel prodded forward and gave a simple catch to Misbah at silly mid-off.

Danish Kaneria, Pakistan's other spinner, was brought into the attack in the sixth over of the day and managed to pick up his 200th Test wicket, and the prize wicket of Kallis for 155. Kallis looked good for his first-ever double century, clipping Mohammad Asif for three fours in his second over as the bowler failed to get any movement off the seam.

Using his feet well against the spinners, he swept with authority as the well-spread field provided ample scoring opportunities. His innings ended when Kaneria, who was getting immense turn, decided to come round the wicket. Kallis tried to cut off the back foot but Akmal, who had dropped him on 36 yesterday, made no mistake this time.

AB de Villiers then took matters in his own hands, refusing singles - although Pakistan's dismal ground fielding did allow him several twos - and alternating between power and placement. Dispatching Rehman into the sightscreen for a six to reach his 50, de Villiers twice pulled Kaneria fiercely as the legspinner pitched it short. His innings, and South Africa's, was ended by a searing Umar Gul yorker and the home side headed for the dressing room with sighs of relief. Not for long though, as it turned out, and they now face the threat of a follow-on on day three.

Salman Butt admitted to hospital with gastroenteritis

Salman Butt, the Pakistan vice-captain and opener, was admitted to hospital early this morning with suspected gastroenteritis.

Talat Ali, the Pakistan manager, said Butt experienced severe pain in his stomach late last night and a decision was taken to take him to hospital early this morning.

"He is still at the hospital. He was on a drip initially but the doctors suspect gastroenteritis."

No word was forthcoming on whether or not Butt would take the field at any stage but Yasir Hameed has taken his place in the field. This is Butt's first Test for Pakistan in over a year and is also his first as vice-captain.

South Africa scores 294-3 at close on 1st day of 1st match against Pakistan

KARACHI: All-rounder Jacques Kallis made Pakistan pay for dropping him twice by scoring a brilliant unbeaten century to help South Africa make a solid start to the first Test here on Monday.

The 31-year-old scored an unbeaten 118 for his 25th Test hundred as South Africa reached 294-3 at close on the first day after winning the toss on a dry and well-prepared pitch at the National Stadium.

Kallis, in the news for the wrong reasons after quitting the vice-captaincy over his omission from the Twenty20 world championships squad last month, shared a third-wicket stand of 170 with a resolute Hashim Amla, who made 71.

Kallis hit 15 boundaries during his 224-minute stay at the crease. He should have been out on 36 when he edged leg-spinner Danish Kaneria only for wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal to drop a regulation catch. Salman Butt then grassed a pull off Mohammad Hafeez when Kallis was on 61.

Kallis, who took 91 deliveries to score fifty, reached his second half-century off just 56 balls, hitting 11 boundaries to reach his ton, his second against Pakistan.

Amla hit six boundaries and a six during his 225-minute knock. He was also let off on one when Misbah-ul Haq spilled a catch off skipper Shoaib Malik.

The lapses allowed Kallis and Amla to continue untroubled before paceman Mohammad Asif bowled Amla in the second over with the new ball.

Earlier, South Africa were given a solid opening start of 87 by Herschelle Gibbs (54) and Graeme Smith (42).

Gibbs, without a hundred for 37 innings, looked set for a big score as he drove and cut with confidence to reach his half-century in two-and-a-quarter hours, hitting seven boundaries.

But he fell to a low catch in the slips by Hafeez off Umar Gul. Gibbs fell three short of reaching 6,000 Test runs.

Pakistan had been forced to rely on the only two available seamers in Asif and Gul but they failed to achieve an early breakthrough, forcing Malik to introduce Kaneria in the tenth over.

Kaneria did turn the ball but it was batting all-rounder Hafeez who claimed Pakistan's first wicket when he trapped Smith leg-before in his second over.

Smith hit five boundaries in his 105-minute stay at the crease. The home team received a jolt before the start of the match when prolific batsman Mohammad Yousuf pulled out, citing a lack of match practice and form.

The 33-year-old last week made himself available to play for Pakistan after cancelling a contract with a rebel Indian league.

But he had barely picked up a bat for two months after being dropped for the Twenty20 tournament, at which Pakistan were finalists.

"Yousuf told us that he needed time to gain match fitness and opted out on his own,"

chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed said.

Pakistan included Faisal Iqbal in Yousuf's place and gave a debut to left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman.

South Africa preferred paceman Andre Nel over veteran all-rounder Shaun Pollock after rookie paceman Morne Morkel failed to regain fitness following a leg injury.

Misbah recalled but no place for Shoaib for the First Test

Misbah-ul-Haq's impressive performances in the World Twenty20 have earned him a recall to Pakistan's squad for the first Test against South Africa in Karachi on Monday. But there was no place in the 15-man lineup for either Inzamam-ul-Haq, the former captain, or Shoaib Akhtar.

Misbah was the third-highest run-scorer in South Africa, helping Pakistan reach the final and was also the highest run-scorer in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan's premier first-class tournament. He played the last of his five Tests four years ago against Bangladesh. Joining him in the middle order is Mohammad Yousuf, who yesterday agreed to represent Pakistan, after having initially signed up for the Indian Cricket League (ICL).

But there was no place in the squad for Inzamam, another ICL signatory. Inzamam has retired from ODIs, though insists he wants to play Test cricket. Salahuddin Ahmed, Pakistan's chief selector, said that Inzamam had been considered for the squad but had declared himself unavailable for the first Test.

"I spoke to Inzamam and though he didn't specify the reasons, he said he was unavailable for the first Test,"

said Salahuddin.

"If he is available for the second Test [in Lahore], he will be considered."

Shoaib's exclusion was also expected, as he is currently the subject of a disciplinary inquiry into his altercation with Mohammad Asif in South Africa.

"Shoaib's is a policy decision,"

said Salahuddin.

"The disciplinary inquiry is ongoing and only when their decision has come will we take a decision."

Rao Iftikhar Anjum took the third fast bowler's spot, edging out Sohail Tanvir, the left-arm, wrong-foot bowler who did so well in the Twenty20 World Cup.

"Sohail is a very talented all-rounder but we feel he still has some time before he is ready for the longer version of the game,"

added Salahuddin.

Pakistan will field yet another new opening pair when the first Test begins from October 1. One of Taufeeq Umar, who averages 74 in four Tests against South Africa, or Mohammad Hafeez will partner Salman Butt, the vice-captain.

Pakistan squad: Shoaib Malik (capt), Salman Butt, Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal (wk), Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, Danish Kaneria, Faisal Iqbal, Yasir Hameed, Taufeeq Umar, Abdur Rehman