Rory Kleinveldt celebrates after taking the wicket of Asad Shafiq during the third day of the third cricket Test match in Pretoria, February 24, 2013. PHOTO: REUTERS
Post-lunch, an immediate run out sparked a collapse as Pakistan slid towards defeat.
Pakistan showed some rare fighting spirit on their tour of South Africa and lost just one wicket in the morning session to reach 87 for two at lunch on day three of the third test at Centurion on Sunday.
The visitors, made to follow on, still trail by 166 runs in their second innings, but will be happy with the better application shown by their batsmen as they frustrated the home side.
South Africa expected more from their pace quartet on a helpful pitch and in perfect conditions but Azhar Ali (27 not out) and Imran Farhat (32 not out) added 48 runs for the third wicket and could not be separated.
Having lost a scoreless Mohammad Hafeez to the first ball of the innings last evening, Pakistan started day three on 14 for one.
There were plenty of deliveries going past the bat early on as the South African bowlers extracted bounce and movement out of a wicket that was doing plenty.
However, there was also a tendency to bowl short and wide, especially from Dale Steyn, who battled to find his radar.
When he did get it right he collected the wicket of Younus Khan (11) with a ball that pitched on middle stump and shaped away. Younus was forced to play, but could only get a thick edge to Graeme Smith at first slip.
Kyle Abbott, who claimed seven for 29 in Pakistan's first innings, troubled the batsmen with a straighter line and also with balls that kept low.
An early finish seemed in prospect when Pakistan lost four wickets quickly after lunch to be floundering at 114 for six, but Sarfraz Ahmed (27 not out) and Saeed Ajmal (30 not out) batted enterprisingly and with a modicum of luck to put on an unbeaten 62 for the seventh wicket.
Azhar Ali and Imran Farhat defied the South African bowlers for most of a morning during which only the wicket of Younis Khan fell.
They saw Pakistan through to lunch at 87 for two, with Azhar on 27, eked out over 110 balls.
But Azhar did not face another ball before he was run out by a superb throw from fine leg by Dale Steyn after being sent back by Farhat, who had initially been seeking a second run.
Pakistan's hopes of avoiding an innings defeat crumbled as three more wickets fell in quick succession.
Farhat was caught behind, slashing at first innings bowling hero Kyle Abbott for 43 and without addition to the score Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq edged an away-swinger from Rory Kleinveldt to wicketkeeper AB de Villiers.
Asad Shafiq made only six before he drove Kleinveldt to mid-off. But Sarfraz and Ajmal showed spirit in batting through until tea.
South Africa lead the three-match series 2-0 having won the first test in Johannesburg by 211 runs, before clinching the series with a four-wicket victory in Cape Town.
At tea Pakistan were 176 for six, still 77 runs short of an innings defeat which would complete a 3-0 series sweep for South Africa.
COMMENTS (16)
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@cringpath: You guys suffer from serious dementia. Forgot the 4-0 white wash in England and another 4-0 humiliation by Australia to your star studded team which also had a god for help. England has recently put you in your place in your own backyard with a 2-1 series win. Worry about your own team and the home paper tigers.
Clearly Misbah needs to retire and so should PCB's chairman.
@cringpath:
Oh yeah I forgot the master blaster shewag or the dancing prancing kohli or mr.talented rohit sharma are tailor made for SA pitches. Beware Steyn, Philander and Morne, the IPL show ponies are coming next year ;))
GO GREEN TEAM !!!
RAW, BCCI and the entire world is behind the whitewash. They have made the pitch that is suitable for all the batsmen in the world except the Pakistani batsmen. Put the blame on the pitch.
Misbah has to leave captaincy even playing cricket from Pakistan........ Great job South Africans.Very many many congratulations to you on your this marvelous and tremendous victory against Pakistan in the test matches' series by 3-0......
Misbah has to leave captaincy even playing cricket from Pakistan........
Guys I know how you feel but this result was expected especially after the waisted opportunity at Newlands. We were up against the no.1 team in their own backyard with a bowling attack and batting order which will become legendary. If it was any other team they to would've suffered the same fate but its no excuse for PAK to play like this. The ICC and PCB need to discuss giving Pakistan more test matches and PCB needs to start making pitches at home that have pace and bounce. I'm pretty sure in northern pakistan the curators can make similar pitches to that of SA, AUS, in that way batsmen with better technique could come into the national side.
Stop...Stop...Stop. Please for God's sake. You waste so much of the already poor country's money every time you go on these losing trips to convince the sporting world that you can win. Not in this Lifetime!!!!
Dismal performance by the Pakistani team. It seemed there was no planning behind. If the captain has some self respect he should immediately resign.
Test match is supposed to last for 5 days. I hope Misbah knows that.
No worries, it's a new team... Lets hope the boys can make a comeback I the odi series, Green team zindabad
Anybody can make record against us because we lack self respect and self pride,there is something seriously wrong with staff accompany the team may be tasked on safasish.
Winning and losing are a part of sports. However, the way The pakistani's lost this series is perhaps atypical of the pakistani mindset; no planning, uncordinated, unspecified purpose, poor execution and to top it all No grit!
Perhaps Allah willed for this gang to lose then it is easy to reconcile fr a larger purpose and the whole point of undertaking this effort. Inshallah, Mashallah gang rides again!
Time to say good bye to the current coaching staff and a lot of over the hill seniors and fire the whole team of selectors including Iqbal Qasim this is the worst team sent overseas. Only Imran Farhat the person everybody hates performed with any consistency.