The Proteas’ 10-match unbeaten run in Test cricket is fast drawing to a close in Lahore on Wednesday.
Bar a counter-attack from the fearless Dewald Brevis, the Proteas have had no answer to the spin and guile of Pakistan’s chief tormentor Noman Ali.
The left-arm spinner has picked up two wickets to take his match tally to 10, and along with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sajid Khan chipping in with a wicket apiece on the fourth morning has left the Proteas in tatters at 137/6 at lunch – still 140 runs adrift with just four wickets remaining.
Partnerships were also going to be crucial for the Proteas, but Pakistan produced a bolter early on when captain Shan Masood tossed the ball to left-arm pace Shaheen, who had not bowled in the second thus far.
Excited to be finally given an opportunity, Shaheen ran in with gusto and managed to get the ball to reverse sharply, with one such delivery cutting back and striking De Zorzi in front. The first innings centurion departed for 16.
Tristan Stubbs’ woes continued, and the middle-order batter was caught at slip trying to reverse-sweep Noman Ali. At this stage of his Test career, it may actually be beneficial for him to be actually given a break to reassess and go away to work on his game.
This brought 22-year-old Brevis to the crease, and the youngster was given an early working over from Shaheen, with the left-arm seamer finding the outside edge, but the ball flew between wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan and slip Salma Agha.
From thereon Brevis decided the best chance of survival was attack, and launched into Noman Ali, putting the veteran spinner under pressure for the first time in this Test.
Brevis targeted the straight and mid-on boundaries, and struck Noman Ali for five boundaries, and two sixes, with one of them taking him to his second Test half-century off just 50 balls.
The partnership also grew to 73 and Pakistan began feeling the pressure that the Proteas could do the impossible.
But Noman Ali is an experienced campaigner that thrives on such challenges, and eventually had the last laugh when he clean bowled Brevis with a ripper of a delivery that turned sharply out of the rough to crash into the stumps.
The Proteas’ balloon was popped, and they slipped further into the quagmire when Rickelton’s vigil was abruptly ended by off-spinner Sajid Khan.
This has left Kyle Verreynne and Senuran Muthusamy with the unenviable task of keeping Pakistan at bay, but it is a case of when rather than if the home team will take the spoils and a 1-0 lead in the series.
Scoreboard
PAKISTAN v SOUTH AFRICA
First Test, Day 4, Lunch
Pakistan: 378 & 167
Babar 42, Muthusamy 5/57, Harmer 4/51
South Africa: 269 & 137/6
Brevis 54, Rickleton 45, Noman Ali 4/69
South Africa requires 140 runs for victory
