Pakistan 185 (Sarfraz 50, Olivier 5-51) and 153 for 3 (Shafiq 48*, Babar 17*) need another 228 to beat South Africa 262 and 303 (de Kock 129, Amla 71)
South Africa moved ever closer to a 3-0 clean sweep on the third day at Johannesburg, as Dale Steyn and Duanne Olivier bent their backs in the face of some stiff resistance to leave Pakistan’s second innings in the balance at 153 for 3, and ensure that Quinton de Kock’s superb fourth Test century is unlikely to go to waste.
Despite a doughty first-wicket stand of 67 between Shan Masood and Imam-ul-Haq, and another pair of combative knocks from Babar Azam and, especially, Asad Shafiq, Pakistan were firmly up against it at the close.
The loss of both openers in the space of three Steyn overs set the scene for another critical failure for Azhar Ali, their under-performing senior batsman, who completed a dismal series haul of 59 runs at 9.83 when he was bounced out for the fourth time in six innings by Olivier.
It was Olivier’s 22nd wicket of the series, more than even Steyn has ever managed for South Africa in a three-match series, and it had to be hard-earned on a surface that appeared to lack the demons that had been in evidence while de Kock and Hashim Amla, in particular, were eking out their team’s lead in the early part of the day.
In the absence once again of a frontline spinner to mix up South Africa’s options, it took invention and nous to force their openings in the evening session – not least from Steyn, who had left the field clutching his shoulder in the first innings, but shook off any lingering doubts about his fitness with another bravura performance.
After failing to cause many problems to Pakistan’s left-handers in a three-over foray before tea, Steyn returned from round the wicket to test their mettle with a wide line angled into the stumps. Imam, on 35, was first to blink, drawn into playing the original line and nicking off as Steyn straightened one off the pitch. And 14 Steyn deliveries later, Masood departed in fury to a similar ball, seemingly oblivious to the feathered inside-edge onto thigh-pad that condemned him on review.
For the second match running, however, Pakistan’s batsmen had saved their best for last, and as Babar and Shafiq reprised the watchful shot selection that had given their hosts plenty to ponder in Cape Town, it was South Africa who were the most grateful to take refuge in the dressing room. A night’s sleep, however, will remind both teams of the distance this chase still has to run. A fourth-day target of 228 remains more than Pakistan have managed in four of their five completed innings on this tour.
All of which made de Kock’s earlier efforts with the bat all the more crucial. By the time South Africa’s final wicket fell, 13 balls after de Kock had launched Shadab Khan once too often into the leg side to fall for an equal Test-best 129, their batsmen had completed a fine recovery from a wobbly 93 for 5 to a hefty total of 303 all out. Cricinfo
