Cape Town – South Africa reduced the first innings deficit to a more manageable 90 and were 247 for seven at lunch on day three of the second Test against Pakistan at Newlands, in Cape Town, on Saturday.
Resuming on 139 for five, AB de Villiers and Dean Elgar added 55 runs for the sixth wicket, off 152 balls.
While Umar Gul showed his frustration after De Villiers was dropped on 34, by Azhar Ali in the gully, it was Saeed Ajmal who added to his overnight five-wicket haul and broke the partnership.
Ajmal gave the ball a bit more flight, enticing the drive, but Elgar (23) did not get enough bat on it and sent his outside edge to Younus Khan at slip.
De Villiers smashed his sixth boundary to reach his half-century off 91 balls, but the contest between batsman and bowler continued as Ajmal followed up with an excellent ball, beating the bat with his doosra.
In the end, it was the debutante Mohammad Irfan who took his first Test wicket when De Villiers, on 61, spooned a delivery to Umar Gul at mid-on.
Irfan was a little unlucky not to get a second wicket when he went up for a caught behind but the delivery was deemed to be a no-ball.
However, replays showed it was a legitimate delivery and the batsman, Vernon Philander was yet to score.
At lunch, Robin Peterson was unbeaten on 40 and Philander on 11. – Sapa