SA tour of Pak(UAE)

First topic message reminder :

UAE, though foreign for Pak, but it is no less then a home feeling. It was here they uprooted the World's best team, with a white wash. Now again they are on a fight with the recent best test team of the world, SA. PAK under captain Misbah and experienced Yunis, looks bit clear on their stance that they will give a strong fight.
We will get an interesting battle here.

I think SA will still win this ....pak bat 4th and 150 run lead is enouhg to sucumb them

Pakistan finish the day strongly at 263-3. They are ahead by 14 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the first innings. Brillian hundred from Khurram Manzoor, and Misbah is well set. South African bowling unit wasn't at its best, and the Pakistan batsmen were good enough to take full advantage. Excellent debut for Shan Masood as well. Younis and Azhar failed, but the strong start and the low total from South Africa mean that Pakistan aren't affected too much by that.
Pakistan would be looking to bat South Africa out of the game by batting entire day tomorrow. That should see them score over 500. I think they'd be happy with anything around 450.
South Africa would hope to engineer a Pakistan collapse tomorrow. If they manage a couple of early wickets, they might just be able to bounce back. The lead is still within control, and if they manage to limit it to under 120-130, South African batsman can then try and rescue the side.

Anything over 449 here for Pakistan, which they're on track for, will be a match-winning total.

Brilliantly poised at the moment though. I think SA will come spitting back tomorrow, like an angered cobra, and will shoot out the rest of the Pakistani innings for under 100 more runs. Then it really will be game on.

The pitch doesn't offer much for the South African quicks, and Robin Peterson is no Saeed Ajmal. Need Dale to produce a Steyn special.

This is a big Test for SA, particularly without a top spinner. Appears they didn't bowl that well. That'll be a rarity. Since their return to Test cricket more than 20 years ago, South Africa have been outstanding in the way that they have CONSISTENTLY not only played up to their potential but way beyond it.
Contrast with England, who until the last 10-12 years failed spectacularly to play anywhere near to their potential.

Morkel's figures on a flat pitch are really good

15-4-1-23  an econcomy rate of under 2 fantastic! But they just cant get any control from the other end

Not often do you associate this word with Pakistan batsmen but a very disciplined hundred from Khurram Manzoor! The debutant Masood was impressive too. South African bowling, less so. Morkel probably the pick of the lot today.
Having said that, I still wouldn't rule out Pakistan collapsing within another 50 runs tomorrow.

Pakistan going along alright. They've lost Manzoor for 146 to Philander, but Misbah and Shafiq have taken them to 340-4. That is already a not insignificant lead of 91, and looking like many more to come at this stage.
South Africa increasingly looking like they need a Faf like performance to get out of this one, the bowlers aren't going to do it by the look of things.

Pretty average performance so far by the Proteas.

After not playing Tests for 8 months, it's strange that only one warm up match was used.

Smith had been injured for a long time.
Alviro has been short of runs for a while.
Kallis hasn't played since IPL
Duminy's first Test in 12 months
Steyn's only recently returned to competitive cricket

Far to undercooked. Then throw in Robin Peterson's awful bowling performance.

But looking at the Pakistan score, pitch is still very flat. Misbah is striking at 60%, we should be fine in the second innings.

I expected the players to be undercooked, apart from reliable amla the rest have been woeful.

Our bowling is decidedly average, but Pietersen simply isn't a test bowler, if we don't have test quality spinners we should not select them.

His fielding has been going down as his confidence has gone down as well.

We should use this test to get as much time in the middle as possible and hope it is enough to strike in the second test.

All in all very poor from SA.

Ja, not going to good for us. Hopefully we can limit them in the next session and try to get a competitive target

Very, very impressed with Pakistan so far. 500 plus is certainly on the cards.

JP Duminy gets his 2nd wicket to provide SA with an opening after lunch, as Asad Shafiq is caught by Petersen for 54. Misbah into the 80s, and Pakistan 372-5, ahead by 123.

Can someone explain DRS?

On day 1 Smith was given out by review, even though the standing umpire gave him not out. On review, there was no proof of an edge.

Today Akmal was given out by the standing umpire, yet in review the third umpire overturned the decision.

Dale Steyn gets his first wicket of the match and it is the important one of skipper Misbah -Ul-Haque.
Misbah goes for exactly hundred, LBW to Steyn, Misbah's review of the original decision failing on umpire's call.

Pakistan 394-6. Can South Africa limit the lead to under 200?

Despite losing Misbah, the Pakistan lower order isn't letting South Africa in as yet. Ajmal and wicketkeeper Atnan Akmal have so far added 29 important runs for the 7th wicket. Pakistan 423-6.

Big Vern at it again!, he has done a good job in 'Asian conditions' so far, gets his 3rd wicket as Saeed Ajmal edges behind. Ajmal did review it but the third umpire is convinced, there was a sound when the ball went pass the bat though there was no real deviation.

My fears seem to be realised. I really think UAE is the hardest place to tour in world cricket - when last did Pakistan even lose a match here?

Zulfiqar Babar, who did well with the ball on debut, is with Akmal. Pakistan 428-7.

What is Steyn doing!? Bowling bouncer after bouncer on a track that isn't quick enough, to a lower order batsman who has just come in. Dale should know very well that he should make him play as much as possible at the early stage of his innings, rather than wasting balls when he has the tailender on the strike against the world's best bowler.

By Dale Steyn's standards, its fair to say he had a pretty poor test match so far. His line and length has been far too erratic.

It seems Steyn should rather aim for the stumps from the inner field than from behind the popping crease.  

Babar is run-out in his debut test innings for 2 to make it 429-8. A combined effort from Faf du Plessis and Dale Steyn ensuring his run-out, Good stop from Faf and good throw from Steyn.

And that's tea on day 2. Pakistan ahead by 180with 2 first innings wickets remaining. The South African batsmen need to produce a mammoth effort to save this one.

Pakistan are bowled out for 442 as Steyn gats the last 2 wickets. Pakistan are ahead by a hefty 193 in the first innings. South Africa will have to bat really really well to make a game out of this.

Zimbabwe appeared a stronger side than SA  

Both SA and Ind are looking rusty in their season start encounters

I still think we can win it, tbh. Will obviously need to bat out of our skins, but we are the best bowling line-up in the world, and Pakistan can topple with the resistance of a China plate perched upon a house of torn cards.

That said, we are miles behind the eight-ball, and realistically need to bat until at least stumps day four. Poor batting performance first gun from the boys has seen us in trouble.

England old boy, England have the best bowling line-up in the world.

For South Africa lack a quality spinner. And right now, it's South Africa's batting under strain: 71/3.

South Africa batsmen continue to flounder in the 2nd innings as well. They are 71-3 at the moment. Amla and AB at the crease.
Petersen was out to a good one from Irfan that bounced extra for 17, Smith lost the plot against Ajmal and came halfway down the wicket to be stumped by wicketkeeper Atnan Akmal who had initially fluffed the take but as Smith was nowhere in the frame, he could regather the ball and effect the stumping to send the SA skipper for 32. Then Jacques Kallis completed a terrible match for him with the bat when he was a dead duck LBW to Junaid for a duck.

72/4 - Amla gone right at the end of the day.

Crucial wicket, may very well be match-winning.

South Africa in deep deep trouble. It'll take a miracle to save this one from here on.

At 72-4, with still 121 behind, Pakistan could even smell an innings win.

Pak's new home ground is just like a grave for the visiting team. Superb performance. 

Lunch on day 4, South Africa is plunging towards an innings defeat. They are 130-6, still 63 runs away from making Pakistan bat again. AB de Villiers is batting on 52, and Faf du Plessis has taken 47 balls to score 8 not out. Today they lost Dale Steyn for 7 and JP Duminy for a duck. Steyn was out to Zulfiqar Babar and Junaid Khan got the important wicket of Duminy.

This goes to show just how hard it is for teams playing away to Pakistan, (admittedly on neutral soil), Sri Lanka and India.
Here's the number one team in the world getting a right thrashing (OK, they could yet fight back). Puts England's failures, and successes such as India away, into perspective.

SA lost du Plessis soon after lunch, and AB and Robin Peterson have pushed the score along to 170-7. Still 22 behind, do South Africa have some fight left in them?

South Africa into the lead. But Pakistan, through Junaid Khan, struck the body blow just before that, as AB Devilliers' resistance is cut short on 90. Philander can bat, and Peterson has been at the wicket for some time, but saving this is too demanding a task for them.

Think they should try and stretch as much as possible, and hanging around might not be the way to go about, the new ball is just 7 overs away, they better play their shots.

AB fell in the 90s for the seventh time  

He's hunting down Michael Slater as the player to get the most 90s in Test cricket...

sirfredperry wrote:This goes to show just how hard it is for teams playing away to Pakistan, (admittedly on neutral soil), Sri Lanka and India.
  Here's the number one team in the world getting a right thrashing (OK, they could yet fight back). Puts England's failures, and successes such as India away, into perspective.

England getting destroyed by Pakistan is no way comparable time what's happening to the Proteas.

It's the first Test we've played in 8 months.

We've been caught cold. These idiotic 2 day warm up matches are a waste of time.

Coupled with key players returning from injuries and having playing no competitive cricket.

sirfredperry wrote:This goes to show just how hard it is for teams playing away to Pakistan, (admittedly on neutral soil), Sri Lanka and India.
  Here's the number one team in the world getting a right thrashing (OK, they could yet fight back). Puts England's failures, and successes such as India away, into perspective.

I think you are jumping the gun a bit there Mate, all this shows is SA has not prepared well enough for their tour after a long break.

The only person looking in any kind of form is Amla, We are horribly under prepared.

Gerry SA
I take your points about the lack of preparation. As I speak Pakistan need just 40 or so to win.
Of course, the quick turn-around of Tests these days does little favour to the visitors in terms of practice/aclimatisation. Your valid points also support mine, in a way.

Lack of preparation was one of the criticisms of England following the 3-0.

Lets see if SA can come back after this Test, I would back them to do a lot better in the next one. England actually had a winning position in the 2nd Test of the 3-0 but blew it with a terrible collapse.

Whoops. Pakistan 7-3 !

VTR wrote:Lack of preparation was one of the criticisms of England following the 3-0.

Lets see if SA can come back after this Test, I would back them to do a lot better in the next one. England actually had a winning position in the 2nd Test of the 3-0 but blew it with a terrible collapse.

When England went to the UAE, it was their first Test for about 7 months, and, as you say, didn't prepare properly. I believe England were in winning positions in 2 Tests out of 3.

It would appear SA have come equally unprepared. Mind you, they might be eyeing something special right now!

Those Pakistani bookmakers enjoying themselves again...

I suppose the one positive out of this is that many doubted whether Philander would be successful in the middle east, that seems to have been dispelled.

It's all over and P have won by 7 wickets. Wonder why SA didn't bowl Steyn and Philander all the way through. Twas not as if they were gonna be out there for very long. Might have been able to grab another wicket or two.
Despite the little wobble at the end, this was a very good win for P. Also shows that you've just GOT to have decent slow bowlers in matches like this.

Well done Pakistan.

First Test series for a while that South Africa won't win. The comprehensive nature of the victory just shows what a tough place the UAE is for away teams.