Captain’s ton anchors South Africa

Proteas reach 311 for three on opening day of first Test against Pakistan.

DUBAI: Graeme Smith struck a fighting century to put South Africa on track for a big total against a hapless Pakistan attack on the opening day of the first Test in Dubai.

Smith hit eight boundaries in his 152-ball 100 and shared a 153-run opening stand with Alviro Petersen (67) before Hashim Amla (80) built on the good work to help South Africa, who won the toss and batted, reached 311 for three at close. It was Smith’s 22nd Test century and 19th as captain of the Proteas.

Jacques Kallis, who shared a 117-run third wicket stand with Amla, was unbeaten on a well-played 53 with Paul Harris not out on nought as South Africa piled on the runs at will on a flat Dubai Stadium pitch.

The Dubai Stadium became Test cricket’s 102nd venue, but failed to attract more than 1,000 people in a ground where people have mostly watched one-day cricket since it was built last year.

Kallis has so far hit five boundaries during his 106-ball patient knock. South Africa’s batsmen feasted on a slow, flat and grass-less pitch with none of the Pakistan bowlers being able to stop the run-flow as Smith and Petersen gave their team a solid start.

Smith and Petersen took South Africa to 101 without loss by lunch, before Pakistan struck twice in the second session.

Petersen, ruled not out by Australian umpire Daryl Harper when on nine after television replays showed he had edged paceman Umar Gul to debutant wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal, hit eight boundaries. He was the first to go when Younus Khan leapt high to take a brilliant catch at short mid-wicket.

During the innings, Smith also created a new record for most Test runs as captain with 6,664 in 79 matches, overhauling Australian Alan Border’s 6,623 in 93 Tests as captain.

Smith, initially a little shaky as he survived close shouts, hit three boundaries off Gul after lunch, the first of which brought up his spectacular -29th Test half-century. Smith pushed left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman for a single to bring up his century after 215 minutes of batting, inclusive of eight boundaries. But he fell on the very next delivery, hooking paceman Wahab Riaz straight into the hands of Taufeeq Umar standing at deep square-leg.

Amla and Kallis punished the bowlers without any trouble, before Amla fell caught behind to Adnan with just three overs to finish. Amla hit seven boundaries during his 152-ball innings.

Yousuf to return home

Mohammad Yousuf has been ruled out of the Test series and is set to return home. Yousuf was a surprise inclusion in the team for the fifth One-Day International in place of Asad Shafiq. According to the team manager, Yousuf is carrying a grade-one tear of the abductor muscle and has been pulled out of the series.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2010.