Published: Feb 04, 2013, 01:30 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 04, 2013, 01:30 PM (IST)
South Africa are six wickets away from a massive victory over Pakistan in the first Test at Johannesburg © Getty Images
Johannesburg: Feb 4, 2013
Pakistan batsmen Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq held up South Africa’s push for victory with a defiant fifth wicket partnership on the third day of the first Test at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday.
Pakistan were 183 for four at the close after being set to make an improbable 480 to win.
The match seemed headed for an early finish when the first four wickets fell for 82 runs, but Pakistan captain Misbah (44 not out) and Shafiq (53 not out) defended grimly for more than three hours, adding an unbeaten 101.
The duo of Misbah and Shafiq will have to play out of their skins and show extreme levels of resilliance to eke out an improbable draw out of this match. As far as South African bowlers are concerned, they will test the Pakistan duo and will hope to rattle them early on and finish the game on Day Four on Monday.
(With inputs from AFP)
Brief Scores: South Africa 253 and 275 for 3 dec. (AB de Villiers 103*, Hashim Amla 74*; Umar Gul 2 for 58) lead Pakistan 49 and 183 for 4 (Asad Shafiq 53*, Nasir Jamshed 46, Dale Steyn 1 for 26) by 297 runs.
