Second Test: South Africa pile 29 run lead on Pakistan

Imran Tahir takes a career-best 5-wicket haul to send back opponents soon after lunch.

DUBAI: After Pakistan were skittled for 99, South Africa finished the day on a high as its batsmen piled on 128 runs for the loss of three wickets, a lead of 29 runs.

While they disappointed with the bat, Saeed Ajmal redeemed some pride for Pakistan, as he took two for 42, while Zulfiqar babar picked up one wicket.

For South Africa, Captain Graeme Smith showed some return to form with a resolute 67. He was accompanied by the night watchman Dale Steyn, 3 as play closed for the day.

In a shockingly dismal performance, the Pakistani cricket team found themselves skittled out for just 99 runs against South Africa in thefirst innings of the second test match in Dubai, Express News reported on Wednesday.

South-African leg-spinner Imran Tahir took a career-best 5-32 while fit-again paceman Dale Steyn finished with 3-38 as the Pakistani innings ended soon after lunch at Dubai stadium.

Misbah won the toss and decided to bat first, with the Proteas captain Graeme Smith admitting he would have batted first too.

The openers walked out on a high from their performance in the last game, but right from the first over, Pakistan found their chronic batting woes haunting them again.

As Dale Steyn opened the attack with a trademark pitch-perfect outswinger, the Asians could smell trouble round the corner on this relatively bouncy track.

Come the second delivery of the match and Khurram Manzoor found himself caught for duck at gully off an attempted cover drive.

The batsman managed to hold the second wicket partnership till 38. But soon after Azhar Ali was trapped lbw off Morkel on 19, the entire lineup crumbled sorrily to a fiery Steyn and a snappy Imran Tahir.

Shan Masood inside-edged onto the stumps off Tahir after scoring 21.

Younis Khan, who recently voiced his outrage at being left out of the ODI side, was seen scampering after outswinging deliveries before finally managing to edge one to the keeper off Steyn.

Tahir trapped skipper Misbahul Haq lbw for a score of two, while bowling Shafiq and Akmal off for 10 and zero respectively.

Tail-ender Zulfiqar Babar top-scored with an fighting 25 not out.

South Africa are trailing 1-0 in the series after losing the first match in Abu Dhabi by seven wickets, made two changes. They were already without star batsman Hashim Amla, who returned home for the birth of his second child.

Dean Elgar replaced Amla while left-arm spinner Robin Peterson made way for leg-spinner Imran Tahir.

Pakistan, seeking their first series win over South Africa in ten years, had kept the same line-up.

Pakistan: Khurram Manzoor, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Misbahul Haq (capt), Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan

South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Alviro Petersen, Imran Tahir, Vernon Philander.

Umpires: Rod Tucker (AUS) and Ian Gould (ENG)

TV umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS)

Match referee: David Boon