Pakistan Vs India, 2nd Test, Kolkata, 5th day

India 616 for 5 dec (Jaffer 202, Laxman 112*, Ganguly 102, Tendulkar 82) and 184 for 4 dec (Jaffer 56) drew with Pakistan 456 (Misbah 161*, Akmal 119, Harbhajan 5-122) and 126 for 4 (Younis 107*, Yousuf 43*)

Younis Khan lodged himself firmly between India and a series triumph on the final day of the second Test at Eden Gardens, leading his side to an unlikely, morale-boosting draw. Younis, standing in as captain for the injured Shoaib Malik, hit his 15th Test hundred and fifth against India, accepting help from a familiar face as he kept Pakistan alive to fight another day. A 136-run partnership with Mohammad Yousuf dragged them from a peril to safety, both captains calling it a day at 214 for 4 with half an hour of play left.

India were disappointingly lethargic, except for brief periods in the afternoon or when Anil Kumble was involved. Kumble had brought the game alive in the afternoon, with two wickets. But as the two Y's came together with another century partnership - their ninth - even Kumble's tenacity wasn't to be enough.

Younis especially was determined: as captain, his side had to be rescued and following low scores against his favourite opponent, here was the perfect opportunity to rectify that. He was also familiar with the situation, having faced similar ones against South Africa recently. So familiar in fact that he graced the occasion with a third hundred in four Tests, each of them in the fourth innings of a Test.

It says much about his character and his batting that you can't call the innings a dogged, dour rearguard. There was much studious defence, but he never dawdled. What runs were on offer, were gladly taken. Having arrived in the first over after lunch, he brought up his fifty in the last over before tea.

After it, he seemed to speed up, pulling Zaheer Khan to bring up the fifty stand and continued in much the same manner through the session. Only Kumble posed a serious challenge, troubling him with googlies and trapping him plumb when in the 90s (Rudi Koertzen disagreed) but even he was driven and cut for pleasing boundaries. No shot better captured the innings than the reverse-sweep which brought up his hundred: defiant, unbowed and positive.

Yousuf meanwhile helped himself back into some form. He was unusually quiet to begin with, recognition of the pressure of the Test and his own lack of runs. But a fluid punch through point off Munaf Patel eased him gently into the role of Younis's second fiddle, one in which he didn't falter. By tea, he was set and after it was rarely hassled, choosing occasionally to stroke a cover drive, but opting generally to pat balls back.

India helped them with a surprisingly inert display after tea. The inactivity was captured best by the inside edge on to Yousuf's pad, which looped up in the air, barely a foot from two close-in fielders. Bizarrely, neither made even an attempt. Harbhajan Singh, the bowler, complained rightly, but perhaps not too much for he was flat through much of the day, mirroring Danish Kaneria's disappointing last-day performance at Delhi. He searched constantly, for the right angle, the right line, the right length, but fruitlessly.

Only Kumble it was who pushed and it was because of him India had a sniff at all. They had declared almost an hour into the morning, setting Pakistan 345 runs or 81 overs to survive. Zaheer got rid of Yasir Hameed before Kumble took over.

Second ball after lunch, Kamran Akmal was bowled by a rare, fair-spinning leg-break. The situation thereafter was made for Kumble: no real chance of the opposition chasing, a fifth-day surface and nervy batsmen naturally keen to push on, trying instead to defend. The appearance of threat was there in every ball, even if the actuality of it wasn't. Fielders encircled batsmen as a lynch mob might an unfortunate, dust flew up off the pitch, and Kumble was the centre of all focus.

Even though nothing happened for nearly an hour after that breakthrough - Harbhajan as much as a cussed Salman Butt to blame - Kumble was not to be denied. Coming round the wicket, he soon trapped Butt. He then replaced Harbhajan with Munaf Patel just after mid-day drinks, who produced in his first over what seemed then to be a pivotal moment. It was touched by genius as well, a slow off-break that nevertheless turned sharply enough to go through the defences of Misbah-ul-Haq, leaving Pakistan rocking at 78 for 4.

Both Patel and Kumble sniffed away, but it wasn't to last and as tea approached Younis and Yousuf dug themselves in. There they would stay after it, despite Kumble's best efforts.

Pakistan V India, 2nd Test, Kolkata, 3rd day

Day 3 Pakistan 358 for 6 (Akmal 119, Misbah 108*, Harbhajan 3-86) trail India 616 for 5 dec by 258 runs

Misbah-ul-Haq and Kamran Akmal finally revealed Pakistan's heart, as they batted for over two sessions to help their side to 358 for 6 at the close of the third day at Eden Gardens. The pair put on 207 runs for the sixth wicket, notching up a century each and taking Pakistan to the brink of saving the follow-on, and perhaps the Test.

Harbhajan Singh provided a late twist to the day, removing Akmal two overs before play ended. It was a fitting end, as it was Harbhajan who instigated Pakistan's collapse in the morning session, one which left them teetering at 150 for 5. They are still 258 runs short of making India bat again.

Nothing, however, will take this day away from Misbah and Akmal. By the day's last session, in which both brought up their hundreds, it was difficult to decide who would be happier.

Akmal,

who reached it first, had not scored a century for 16 Tests. His last, against the same opponents, came 22 months ago. It felt longer, for in that time, his stock has fallen till it could not fall any further: had he not scored here, he would likely have been dropped. But Akmal at least had done it four times before this; for Misbah, this was a first, and within context, will be difficult to better. The pair had come together just before lunch, with Pakistan in serious strife.

Akmal was the go-getter from the start. He took his time to settle, to assess threats, the situation and run-scoring options. He began by sweeping Harbhajan and continued using that shot to good effect through the afternoon, only getting finer with each attempt.

The further he progressed, however, the more strokes came out. His backfoot play, the cut and pull in particular, flowered first, as he marked significant moments with one of each: a cut brought up the fifty partnership and Pakistan's 200 soon after mid-day drinks, an emphatic pull as tea beckoned brought up his own fifty and another forcing cut brought up his fifth hundred (and fourth against India) before drinks in the final session. It also brought up no doubt, memories of the great Mohali escape.

Had Munaf Patel held on to an edged hook on 87, Akmal may not have had a chance to show one and all his love for the drive. As India took the new ball, that chance apart, Akmal drove Munaf Patel and Zaheer Khan relentlessly straight and through cover until eventually, he was deceived by Harbhajan.

Misbah continued from where he had left in Delhi, at once appearing Pakistan's most sensible and best batsman. Spurred on initially by Younis Khan's daredevilry, he took educated risks before lunch, lofting Anil Kumble over midwicket, slog-sweeping and flashing through slips. He was dropped by Sachin Tendulkar, a difficult chance at midwicket, after which the situation's gravity - and requirement - seemed to hit home.

After lunch, he settled for the day, content mostly to defend and occasionally to nudge and pinch runs. Obstacles were placed in his way, most notably whenever Zaheer Khan pitched short. One steepler after lunch ballooned off his edge and in the 90s, after tea, his ribs were given a solid working over.

But those periods apart, Misbah capped his sudden rise to the front ranks of Pakistan's batting. There weren't many shots later, but whenever he chose to play them, he did so with minimum fuss. A cut off Patel in the 90s was efficiently done, while the clip to square leg off Kumble would've been remembered similarly, had it not brought up his maiden hundred.

Yet nothing that preceded their partnership had revealed any sign of such fight. Harbhajan had threatened to embarrass them alone, defining the morning session. Though Pakistan had made an uncomplicated start, Harbhajan was giving the ball considerable loop, though if it's not done with your team 600 runs to the good, then it will never be done.

He was getting turn too: twice, Salman Butt resisted the temptation to drive balls going across him, but the third time the charm couldn't be resisted. Butt was pulled into a drive, Rahul Dravid at slip accepting the edge.

The big fish was reeled in Harbhajan's next over, Mohammad Yousuf defeated in classic manner. He offered flight to drive, before putting one in quicker. It spun sharply and straight through a drive as Pakistan's morning darkened.

Younis fought a brief, reckless battle where runs came freely, but reverse-sweeps and heaves over midwicket were high-risk ways of going about it. And living by the sword eventually meant dying by it, as a poor shot to an even poorer ball from Patel brought his end. As Kumble trapped a clueless Faisal Iqbal, Pakistan were left hoping for miracles. Misbah and Akmal provided them with a little one, though it still might not be enough.

Pakistan V India, 2nd Test, Kolkata, 2nd day

Pakistan 50 for 1 (Butt 26*, Younis 3*) trail India 616 for 5 dec (Jaffer 202, Laxman 112* Ganguly 102, Dhoni 50*) by 566 runs

Had India asked the Gods of cricket to script a perfect day, they would not have been able to better this. Wasim Jaffer completed a double-hundred, VVS Laxman added a dainty hundred and above all, the prince of Kolkata, Sourav Ganguly hit his first hundred in front of a rapt home crowd as India declared on 616 for 5.

Then, in the hour available to their bowlers, they picked off an opener; Pakistan ended on 50 for 1, still a whole galaxy of runs behind. Escape is possible, but with every ball, every run, every over, every boundary that has passed over two days, their spirits have sapped further.

No such problems for Ganguly, to whom this day belonged. His hundred was a significant one: his first against Pakistan, his first at Eden Gardens, and most importantly his first in four years almost to the day against major opposition. It was further proof, if needed, that he has been among India's best batsmen since his return from forced exile. At least one Australian in Rajasthan might wince at a Test record since then that now shows four fifties and two hundreds in ten Tests.

It seemed inevitable from the moment he arrived yesterday, though undoubtedly it helped that the moment was 313 for 3. He was tested briefly this morning and straight after lunch, unimaginatively, with the short ball. He weathered most of it, though lucky to survive a ferocious bouncer from Shoaib Akhtar just after lunch when on 63, Yasir Hameed failing to hold on to a difficult chance at gully.

That apart, Ganguly was by turns regal and cussed. He drove well in front of square - a sure sign that the touch is good - never more than when caressing Mohammad Sami past wide mid-off early this morning. To move in to the nineties, just before mid-day drinks, he bettered it, with what was a mere push, off the same bowler.

In between, the area around point and gully was also well-traversed with cuts, punts, deflections and scythes. When he wasn't hitting boundaries - and that wasn't too often - he was picking up the many easy singles here, there and everywhere. The hundred was celebrated with understandable gusto, though having added 163 at a fair clip with Laxman, a lazy loft to long-on, off Salman Butt of all bowlers, amounted to a needless act of charity.

Laxman, as has recently been the case, put together another fine day's work without too many people taking too much notice. Only when he first came in this morning was he in any strife, and that too lasted no more than an over against Sohail Tanvir. He got in to the groove with a delicious drive off Tanvir, and before Pakistan knew it, he was helping himself to boundaries.

When they erred in length, he would push them between mid-off and extra cover and if they erred in line, he whipped them through the arc between mid-on and square leg. Shoaib and Sami tried to rattle him after lunch with bouncers and succeeded twice: the first, he fended off uncomfortably, and the second he gloved. It is the way of this Test, that he did so over the keeper for four.

The serenity of his progress continued unabated subsequently; he slowed down after tea as he approached his first hundred in 16 innings (he does have six mostly crucial fifties in that period) and his first against Pakistan. It took him six overs to move from 91 to 100, though off 158 balls, it was still swift. Ultimately it mattered not: MS Dhoni was around, and after a circumspect start, casually blazed his way to fifty as the declaration approached.

Apart from brief periods in the morning, when they got Jaffer, and immediately after lunch, Pakistan's bowling was a mass of nothingness: no line, no length, no intent, no plan. Shoaib and Sami looked healthier after a night's rest and stirred occasionally, but never looked like sustaining it. As the afternoon wore on, even Danish Kaneria's restrictive plan to bowl a leg-stump line failed to stop fast, easy runs.

And just when they thought it couldn't get worse, it did. Sent in to negotiate the last hour, they lost Hameed after a bright start. India took to spin as early as the third over, after Zaheer Khan pulled up with an ankle problem, but on a wearing surface, its' introduction was only a matter of time.

Pakistan Vs India, 2nd Test, Kolkata, 1st day

India 352 for 3 (Jaffer 192*, Tendulkar 82, Dravid 50, Ganguly 17*) v Pakistan

Wasim Jaffer's bat sparkled brightest on a day of total dominance for India's batsmen, as they ground Pakistan into the Kolkata dust on the opening day of the second Test at Eden Gardens. Jaffer was undefeated on 192 when bad light ended play six overs early, but his fifth hundred was his most joyous yet. With support from Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, he took India to 352 for 3.

For an ailing Pakistan, without their injured captain Shoaib Malik and hampered by a seriously unwell Shoaib Akhtar, it was, by some distance, one of their most dispiriting days in recent memory. Kamran Akmal led the way in the field with an untidy, fumble-ridden performance that included another dropped catch as their chances of winning this series ebbed away under a barrage of boundaries.

But their woes should not take away from a day that was lit up by the beauty of Jaffer. He is compact even on his worse days, and has real grace in his shots, but rarely has he put it all together at such pace. His back-foot punches through covers, the pulls and clips are well-appreciated, but rarely have they come in such quick succession, in such sustained bursts of boundary-hitting. If ever a batsman was in the zone, it was Jaffer at Eden Gardens on Friday.

He was gold from the very start, the early loss of his opening partner as much an inconvenience as a fly is to an elephant. No particular area of the ground was favoured over others and no particular shot over another: pulls, drives, punches, cut and clips were all played with that seductive upright elegance, elbows high, bat straight.

But if he favoured one bowler over another, it was probably Sohail Tanvir, to whom he showed no mercy. Having driven him arrow-straight early in the piece, he struck him for four fours in an over a little before lunch. Later in the afternoon, as India raced to their 200, he hit him for a hat-trick of fours. As the day neared its end, Jaffer continued doing so, mostly through the leg side as Tanvir's inexperience came out of the closet.

He was no less imposing, or elegant, against the legspin of Danish Kaneria, never more so than in the day's 49th over. In it, he reached his hundred with a push through the covers, before celebrating by clipping him twice in a row through midwicket for four.

So commanding did the shy-looking Jaffer become that his support - Dravid and Tendulkar - were mostly overshadowed in stands of 134 and 175 respectively. Dravid was more than willing to go unnoticed, putting together a studied fifty. He was brisk enough to begin, particularly against Kaneria, as he got caught in Jaffer's slipstream. But just as he was bedding himself in post-lunch, Billy Doctrove sent him back for a phantom edge: replays couldn't tell whether Akmal's take was worse or Doctrove's decision.

Tendulkar was more energetic and before he was bowled - by his own shot rather than Kaneria's googly - a hundred seemed a done deal. Alongside Jaffer, he took the wheels right off Pakistan in the afternoon. The pair scored at nearly five an over, Tendulkar by turn cheeky and impulsive, but never in less than total control. The one blot came in the first over after tea, an edge off Mohammad Sami, though Akmal was obliging enough to drop.

Pakistan had a day you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy, and compounded it with a comically poor performance in the field. They were effectively a three-man attack for much of it, the decision to play an ill and weak Shoaib always loaded with risk. He could only manage nine overs, and though the early ones had pace, by the end, he should have been running in with an IV drip.

Kaneria was inconsistent, mixing some ordinary overs with brighter ones and Mohammad Sami, also unwell, remained committed but without luck. Perhaps their plight was best captured by the sight of Tanvir, the new hot young thing on Pakistan's pace block, switching to left-arm spin halfway through the afternoon. It was an admission that poor fortune - in their catastrophic run-in to this Test - and a sublime Jaffer had emphatically won the day.

Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik outlines injury woes

Fast bowler Umar Gul will return home after failing to recover from a back injury, adding to Pakistan's fitness problems on the eve of the crucial second Test against India here on Thursday.

Pakistan, seeking to avoid their first Test series loss in India in more than two decades, were racing against time to find 11 fit players following injuries and illness in their 15-man squad.

Pakistan's last Test series defeat in India came in 1980. They trail 1-0 in the three-match series following their six-wicket loss in the opening game in New Delhi on Monday.

Ace paceman Shoaib Akhtar is still recovering from a chest infection, skipper Shoaib Malik from an ankle injury, and batsman Misbah-ul-Haq and fast bowler Mohammad Sami from viral infections.

"We have too many fitness problems in the team at the moment. I felt pain while jogging. I will have one more fitness test on Friday before I decide anything,"

said Malik, who was injured playing football after the first match.

"Gul bowled at the nets, but he felt pain. He needs treatment and that's why he is going home. We need four specialist bowlers for a Test match. I hope we might be able to manage it."

Malik said Akhtar was still under treatment and it was too early to say whether he would be available for the match.

Akhtar was the lone Pakistani bowler to trouble India in the opening match as he finished with six wickets, including four in the second innings. Gul has so far bagged 67 wickets in 16 Tests.

Pakistan now have only three fit bowlers -- spinners Danish Kaneria and Abdur Rehman, and seamer Sohail Tanvir, who has only played one Test.

"We have no option but to win this Test, but we are struggling with fitness problems. These are difficult times for us. We just hope the players will recover in time,"

said the Pakistani captain.

"We have given options (for replacements) to selectors. It's up to them to decide who to send."

India captain Anil Kumble vowed the turn the heat on the tourists, saying his team would like to wrap up the series with a second successive victory.

"It's important for us to maintain the momentum we gained in the previous match and turn the screws. It's a great opportunity for us to go 2-0 up and seal the series here,"

he said.

"We have to perform up to our potential and ensure we gain a 2-0 lead. There were a couple of areas where we could have done better in the previous game, like we should have scored more runs in the first innings."

India could manage only 276 in the first innings before achieving a 203-run target with ease on the fifth and final day.

"Overall, I was happy with the way we played in the last match,"

said Kumble, leading the side in his first Test series.

When asked whether the current Pakistani side were vulnerable, Kumble said:

"Probably they are missing Inzamam-ul-Haq who was the pillar of their middle order in the past."

"They still have a good team and that they had proved in the previous Test by extending the game into the last day. It could have been a closer game."

Inzamam quit international cricket after a two-Test home series against South Africa in September. Under his captaincy, Pakistan drew a three-Test series 1-1 on their last tour of India in 2005.

Pakistan save match but series goes to South Africa

LAHORE: With determined and courageous batting through out the final day, Younus Khan and Muhammad Yousuf guided Pakistan to secure a draw but could not stop South Africa to take the two-Test series 1-0 by the virtue of their 160-run win in Karachi.

The second and the final Test match between the two countries ended in a draw as Pakistan lost only three wickets in the day’s play and carried the score to 316 for four at stumps here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.

Yousuf remained not out on 63 with captain Shoaib Malik unbeaten on 20 when the match ended in a draw.

Earlier, Younus Khan scored a brilliant 130, his second of the series and the 14th of his Test career. His confident innings came to end when he was caught behind by Mark Boucher off Jacques Kallis. He batted for almost 4 ½ hours and hit 17 boundaries.

Younus Khan added 89 runs with Muhammad Yousuf for the third wicket stand after being involved in a 161-run partnership for the second wicket with Kamran Akmal (71).

Inzamam-ul-Haq came to play his final Test innings but could make only three runs and was stumped by Boucher off Paul Harris. He was given a warm send-off by the spectators and the players of both teams.

Pakistan scored 103 runs and lost one wicket in the first session and took the score to 211 for two at lunch. Kamran Akmal, who opened the innings with Salman Butt on the fourth day, was dismissed today by Paul Harris for 71.

Between lunch and tea, Pakistan made 71 runs and lost Younus and Inzamam-ul-Haq. In the final session, they scored 34 runs and carried the score to 316 then both captains mutually decided to end the play.

Jacquis Kallis was declared both man-of –the-match and man-of-the-series for his outstanding batting display throughout the series. He made three hundreds and one fifty in four innings.

The Pakistan Cricket Board paid rich tribute to Inzam-ul-Haq on his retirement and awarded him a gold medal. All his colleagues embraced him and there was an emotional scene when Shoaib Malik was weeping while embracing him.

Inzamam fails to surpass Miandad by just three runs in his final Test

LAHORE: Former captain of national cricket team and star batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq could not beat the Pakistan record of making the most Test runs, set by Javed Miandad. He was just three runs away from the record when he got stumped by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher off left-arm spinner Paul Harris on the fifth and the final day of the second Test against South Africa here at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Friday.

Inzamam-ul-Haq, who has announced to retire from Test cricket, today played his final innings. He needed only six runs to beat Miandad’s record but could score just three runs.

He has now finished his Test career with 8,830 runs in 120 matches whereas Javed Minadad had scored 8,832 runs in 124 Tests.

When Inzamam made his last Test appearance in Lahore, he needed 20 runs to surpass Miandad but he made 14 and 3 in the match. Thus, a glorious Test career has come to its end. Inzamam-ul-Haq will be remembered for his batting prowess and a number of achievements in Test and One-day International cricket.

Salman Butt fined for criticising umpires

Pakistan vice-captain Salman Butt has been fined 50% of his match fee for making serious public criticism of match officials during the second Test against South Africa in Lahore.

After the third day of the Test, Butt said to the media:

"There have been a few decisions where I feel we were unlucky. I think [Mohammad] Yousuf was not out yesterday and when you get one such decision against your premier batsman it does affect you."

The charge was brought by on-field umpires Simon Taufel and Mark Benson, third umpire Nadeem Ghauri and the fourth umpire Iftikhar Malik following which Butt was found guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct by match referee Alan Hurst

"It is the responsibility of the captain or vice-captain to set examples on and off the field in not only what they do, but also what they say,"

Hurst said. Negative comments about some umpiring decisions, made by Salman Butt at a media conference and later printed in more than one newspaper, were very specific and could have the effect of creating addition tensions on the field and also undermining the mutual respect that is essential between umpires and players.

"If players or officials have any views of this nature then there are appropriate and far less controversial ways for them to be aired including the captains' reports that are submitted to match referees after every game and I expect avenues such as this to be explored in future."

"In reaching my decision, I took the player's previous good record, his guilty plea and an apology for his actions into consideration."

Kamran, Younus fight back, still a long way to go

LAHORE: Wicketkeeper batsman Kamran Akmal and Younus Khan batted courageously in Pakistan’s fight back to chase an improbable target of 457 runs on the fourth day of the second and the final Test match here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.

They have so far added 93 valuable runs for their unbeaten second wicket after Pakistan lost an early wicket. At close of play, Pakistan were 108 runs for the loss of Salman Butt with Kamran batting on 49 and Younus on 48. They have still a long way to go as they are required to make further 349 runs to win with nine wickets in hand.

Earlier, South Africa declared their second innings at 305 for four just before tea and set an improbable target of 457 in remaining four sessions.

The dominance of the South African batsmen continued on fourth day as captain Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis scored centuries and together added 207 runs for the third wicket to guide South Africa to a commanding position.

Resuming at the overnight 154-2, Captain Graeme Smith and Jacquis Kallis stretched their partnership to 145 runs by lunch as Pakistan had to rely on its two spinners. Paceman Mohammad Asif injured his elbow Wednesday after bowling only four overs. He will not be able to bowl anymore in this Test.

Smith completed his nearly six-hour-long century off 254 balls with 12 boundaries in the last over before lunch. He hit a solitary boundary in the entire morning session. He scored his overdue century in over two years when he made 126 against the West Indies at Antigua in 2005.

Kallis had a lucky escape on 47 when captain Shoaib Malik misjudged a lofted shot at long off in left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman's first over. Kallis, who had plundered 155, 100 not out and 59 in his previous three test innings on the tour, completed his third century of the series in 231 balls with seven fours. This was his 27th Test hundred.

Smith was dismissed by Danish Kaneria for 133 but Kallis remained unbeaten at 107 when South Africa declared their innings by tea at 305 for four wickets before Ashwell Prince was bowled by Abdul Rehman for 11.

Pakistan was shot out for 206 in its first innings in reply to South Africa's 357. Now they have an uphill task of making 457 runs to win the match and equal the two-Test series.

Pakistan v South Africa, 2nd Test, Lahore, 2nd day

Pakistan 140 for 4 (Akmal 52, Butt 40, Harris 2-33) trail South Africa 357 by 217 runs

Pakistan failed to capitalise on an aggressive 90-run opening partnership between Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal - losing three wickets for nine runs - as South Africa, helped by sharp fielding, restricted the hosts to 140 for 4, needing another 17 to avoid the follow-on. Earlier, Mark Boucher and Paul Harris frustrated the home side as they posted 357.

Full report to follow

Tea Pakistan 51 for 0 (Butt 30*, Akmal 21*) trail South Africa 357 by 306 runs

Pakistan openers posted an aggressive reply to South Africa's 357 as they raced past the 50-run mark in the nine overs before the tea interval.

Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt, although shaky at times, feasted on the short-of-length tactics adopted by the South African opening bowlers, including hitting Dale Steyn for 19 runs in an over. They provided their team with the start they were looking for after a frustrating time in the field early on.

Steyn, who was the destroyer-in-chief with a second-innings five-wicket haul in Karachi, bowled an impressive first over, beating Akmal with pace and swing. However, he altered his length in the following over and runs started to flow as Pakistan hit 10 boundaries in the brief session.

South Africa 357 (Prince 63, Kallis 59, Boucher 54, Kaneria 4-114, Gul 3-103) v Pakistan

Mark Boucher and Paul Harris helped South Africa pass the 350-mark but an improved post-lunch bowling performance and Boucher's desire to increase the scoring-rate enabled Pakistan to restrict the visitors to 357 in their first innings.

As South Africa resumed on their overnight 259 for 6, an early wicket - Andre Nel caught at short leg off Umar Gul - put the home side into the driving seat straight away. Hoping to dismiss the tail in quick time, and avoid chasing another huge first-innings total, the Pakistan fast bowlers were content on pitching it short even when results seemed to their detriment.

Harris had a previous Test highest of 11 not out and it was pity he missed his half-century as he mixed defence with some decent stroke-play. He also ducked with ease the many short balls that Pakistan's fast bowlers aimed at him. Causing damage with the ball thus far, Harris frustrated Pakistan for 132 deliveries and played some cheeky sweeps off Danish Kaneria and an elegant straight drive off Mohammad Asif.

Though he was there to provide support to Boucher, Harris overtook him while they were batting together, as Gul and Asif failed to bowl even a single yorker to him.

It was a fullish delivery that saw the back of Harris - after a few edges that failed to carry and Younis Khan putting one down at second slip - as he drove Gul uppishly to cover. Boucher, too, was content with taking his time out in the middle and hit only four fours - elegant leaning drives off the fast bowlers and sweeps off the legspinner - and reached his fifty with a pulled six over fine leg. As Boucher perished trying to clear long-on, South Africa had managed 357, after even 300 looked hard to get at start of play today.

With 357 on the board, South Africa will hope to make early inroads especially with a shaky Pakistan opening combination. But the return of Mohammad Yousuf and Inzamam-ul-Haq to the middle order could frustrate their chances.

Disciplined bowling gives Pakistan the advantage on the first day of the second Test Against South Africa, Lahore

Ashwell Prince and Jacques Kallis hit half-centuries but Pakistan struck back with some disciplined bowling to restrict South Africa on day one of the second and final Test here Monday.

South Africa had posted 259-6 with Prince (63) and Kallis (59) leading the charge at the Gaddafi Stadium when bad light stopped play seven overs ahead of schedule.

Mark Boucher was unbeaten on nine and Andre Nel was yet to score.

It seemed AB de Villiers (45) would ratchet up the South African total but he fell to an unfortunate run-out, giving Pakistan some advantage as they seek to level the series.

South Africa won the first Test in Karachi by 160 runs.

Captain Graeme Smith plundered 46 runs but none of his teammates followed suit against the spin and pace attack of Pakistan.

Key batsman Kallis, who scored a masterly 155 and an unbeaten 100 in the first Test, was not in the best form as he nearly played on Danish Kaneria twice. He regained composure though and hit paceman Umar Gul for two consecutive boundaries to reach his 45th half-century.

Kallis added an invaluable 83 runs for the fifth wicket with Prince, who also defied the bowling with some resolute stroke play.

Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik, who once again went into the Test with just two seamers and two frontline spinners, did not introduce left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman until the 51st over.

Rehman, who took eight wickets in Karachi, was hit for a six by Kallis before Kaneria struck back, trapping the South African with a disguising googly.

Kaneria, who bowled a long spell of 27 overs on either side of lunch, was the best of the home bowlers with 2-73.

Earlier, Kallis added 53 runs for the third wicket with Smith after the tourists lost Herschelle Gibbs (13) and Hashim Amla (10).

Pakistan's pace duo of Gul and Mohammad Asif provided the early breakthroughs. Gul had Gibbs caught in the gully while Asif bowled Amla with an inswinger.

Smith, batting with confidence on 31 with South Africa 70-2 at lunch, drove Kaneria for a boundary before the leg-spinner had the last laugh with a sharp turner which went through bat and pad to hit the off-stump.

Prince and Kallis took the score to 160 before Kaneria claimed the prized scalp of Kallis to raise hopes of dismissing the tourists for a modest total.

Prince, however, kept one end intact and consolidated the South African innings. Rehman finally brought an end to Prince's innings when he beat the batsman in the air to hit the stumps.

Prince hit five boundaries in his stubborn three-hour knock.

The Lahore Test is the swansong for Inzamam-ul Haq who is retiring from Test cricket.

The 37-year-old veteran was brought into the team along with Mohammad Yousuf. Inzamam was unavailable for the first Test while Yousuf pulled out at the last minute citing a lack of match fitness.

South Africa remained unchanged, leaving veteran all-rounder Shaun Pollock on the sidelines. Pollock was dropped for the first Test -- the first time in his 107-Test career.

Inzamam prepares for final battle

Apart from looking light of paunch, not much about Inzamam-ul-Haq's last touch-football training session appeared any different to the many that preceded it. He ambled around on the periphery, occasionally roused himself to sprint and throw passes, before stopping to amble again. The others accorded him the respect they always have by not really running after him that hard.

Cool as you like he had a bat in the nets, but admitted the occasion got to him.

"Today when I went to do batting practice in the nets I got a little bit emotional."

The last year has been unkind to Inzamam and it has brought him to this: resignation from the captaincy, ODI retirement and now from Tests, when he feels he can still play on for a year.

"It was a tough decision, but when I looked at the youngsters in the dressing room, I thought they shouldn't be put under pressure and it was better to quit. Every player should realise himself when it is the right time for him to leave."

"There are lots of youngsters who have bright futures and I hope by the time the next World Cup (2011) comes, the team will be in better shape. The way we have performed in the World Twenty20, there are lots of encouraging signs."

Inzamam praised the Pakistan board for affording him this send-off, dignified if a little forced, but it's one very few ex-players have been able to command. He wasn't thinking ahead just yet, however.

"My priority is to perform well and help Pakistan draw the series."

His return puts Pakistan in an unusual situation. Shoaib Malik, the captain, rightly sees it as a bulking up of the middle-order, especially with the return also of Mohammad Yousuf. But it could leave them distracted as well, as Graeme Smith has pointed out.

"Both players are coming back after a while and it might affect Pakistan,"

said Smith.

"We're making sure we concentrate on playing the style of cricket we played in the first Test."

But Smith acknowledged that both were serious batsmen, no matter what the situation or context.

"We were prepared for Yousuf in the first Test and we have played against Inzamam recently so our game-plan is pretty much in place for these two batsmen. We are pretty comfortable but they are world-class players. How they fit back in their setup is their challenge and how we bowl is our challenge."

Over 20,000 international runs, 35 hundreds and 17 years after his debut, against West Indies in 1991, Inzamam will play his last game at the venue where it all began: the Gaddafi Stadium.

"I still remember that game. It feels as if it was only yesterday."

If it was, then some day it's been.

Pakistan’s 16-man team for 2nd Test announced

KARACHI: Former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has been included in the 16-member Pakistan squad for the second Test match.The team has been announced by the selection committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board here today.

Chief selector Salahuddin Sallu announced the 16-member team at a press conference in the National Stadium, Karachi on Friday.

The team consists of the following players:
Shoaib Malik (captain), Inzamam-ul-Haq, Muhammad Yousuf, Younus Khan, Salman Butt, Taufiq Umar, Yasir Hameed, Faisal Iqbal, Kamran Akmal, Muhammad Hafeez, Danish Kaneria, Abdul Rehman, Muhammad Asif, Umar Gul, Misbah-ul-Haq and Rao Iftikhar Anjum.

The second and the final Test between Pakistan and South Africa will be played from Monday, October 8 at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

Inzamam-ul-Haq will play the last Test match of his career.

Inzamam to retire after Lahore Test

Former captain hopes to break Miandad's record

Inzamam-ul-Haq, the former captain of the Pakistan team, has announced he will retire from international cricket after the second Test against South Africa at Lahore. Inzamam will be hoping to end his career by breaking Javed Miandad's Pakistan record of 8832 Test runs. Inzamam currently has 8813 runs, still needing 20 runs to become the highest run-getter for Pakistan in Tests.

Inzamam made this announcement at the National Stadium in Karachi where Pakistan are currently playing the first Test against South Africa. A few hours later, the board named Inzamam in a 16-man squad for the second Test. In recent days speculation has mounted over Inzamam's future, with him declaring himself unavailable for the first Test against South Africa. He is also one of three Pakistani players to sign with the Indian Cricket League.

Apart from Inzamam's inclusion, the selectors have decided to stick to the same 15 that were announced for the ongoing Test in Karachi. While Inzamam is almost certain to play, the match could also feature a return of Mohammad Yousuf who opted out of the first Test due to lack of match fitness. Thus a brief reunion of Pakistan's strong middle-order comprising Inzamam, Yousuf and Younis Khan is very much on the cards.

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

Speculation grows over Inzamam's future

Speculation over the future of Inzamam-ul-Haq, the former Pakistan captain, is mounting with some reports claiming he is set to retire from Test cricket after playing in the second Test in Lahore against South Africa.

Geo TV and Jang, the Urdu-language daily, both reported that Inzamam had reached an agreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board which would see the batsman play one last Test at home before bowing out - unlike many ex-cricketers in Pakistan - with some grace and dignity.

The reports also suggested that the board may make a financial payment to Inzamam, a golden handshake of sorts, for announcing his retirement. This, however, was denied emphatically by a statement from the board, which stated

"that all policy decisions regarding Inzamam will be announced in the next couple of days which will be in the larger interest of the game."

"The newspaper report that the PCB has carried out a deal with Inzamam by assuring him a guaranteed sum of 10 million rupees for his retirement from Test cricket, is absolutely incorrect,"

it said

None of these reports, however, have quoted Inzamam directly. The only newspaper to quote him on the topic, the Daily Express, another Urdu daily, has him denying any such plans.

"I have no plans to retire at the moment. I am available for the second Test and have told the selectors of my desire,"

Inzamam said. However, to add to the confusion, the same newspaper's front page has also carried the retirement story. The Daily Express has also quoted Inzamam claiming he has cancelled his trip to London where he was expected to be present for hearings in the Darrell Hair case.

Inzamam stepped down from the captaincy and retired from ODIs after Pakistan's early exit at the World Cup earlier this year. He was initially keen to play on in Tests, but the board and selectors have, unofficially, been equally keen for him to step away and didn't award him a central contract.

To complicate matters further, Inzamam was also one of four players to sign up for the Indian Cricket League (ICL), a move which meant, according to the PCB's stance, that he would not be considered for Pakistan selection.

Yet Inzamam was, according to the selection committee, considered for the first Test squad against South Africa. He wasn't picked because he made himself unavailable. If he does play one last Test, Inzamam has an opportunity to surpass Javed Miandad as the leading Test run-scorer for Pakistan as he needs 20 runs to go past Miandad's haul of 8832.