Wednesday 23 October 2013

Pakistan Looks Test Series Win Against World No. 1

Dubai: A confident Pakistan will look to their spinners to sweep the two-match series against a depleted South Africa when the second and final Test starts in Dubai on Wednesday.

Pakistan's spin duo of Saeed Ajmal and left-armer Zulfiqar Babar shared 11 wickets between them to guide their team to a seven-wicket win in the first Test in Abu Dhabi, only their fourth win in 22 Tests against South Africa.

Even the pacemen Mohammad Irfan and Junaid Khan took four wickets apiece as a formidable South Africa batting slumped to 249 and 232 in the two innings, with only Hashim Amla (118 in first innings) and AB de Villiers (90 in 2nd innings) showing some resistance.

Pakistan rode on a brilliant 146 by opener Khurram Manzoor -- the highest by a Pakistani batsman in a Test against South Africa -- and a responsible 100 by captain Misbah-ul Haq to post a big 442-run total.

South Africa will be hard pressed to maintain their unbeaten run in an away series since losing in Sri Lanka in 2006.

More so as Amla and Dale Steyn, respectively the world's top Test batsman and bowler, may not be available for the match. Amla has returned home for the birth of his child while Steyn is nursing a hamstring injury.

Pakistan Bat, Steyn Fit to Play

Dubai: Pakistan have won the toss and opted to bat first in 2nd and final Test against South Africa at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

That's the first toss Pakistan have won in ten Tests. They are also playing an unchanged XI.

South Africa have made a couple of changes though -- Dean Elgar in for Amla, and Imran Tahir replaces Robin Peterson.

Teams:

Pakistan:
Khurram Manzoor, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (Captain), Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal (wk), Saeed Ajmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan

South Africa: Graeme Smith (Captain), Alviro Petersen, Dean Elgar, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers (wk), Jean-Paul Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir