South Africa remain confident of wrapping up the first Test against Pakistan despite an unbroken century stand between Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq giving the tourists a small glimpse of a record-breaking victory.
The pair took Pakistan to stumps on day three at 4-183, still 297 runs short of an unlikely win, after batting through the first wicketless session of the match after tea.
Misbah was unbeaten on 44 and Shafiq had 53, but with the second new ball due in just five overs, South Africa remains heavy favorite to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.
“No team has scored more than 400 on this deck and we don’t think they will,” South Africa’s AB de Villiers said.
“There are a few cracks opening up and it will swing.
“Hopefully we can finish the game somewhere after lunch (on Monday).”
South Africa would already have been a couple of steps closer to its fourth Test win in a row were it not for a costly no-ball and a dropped catch in consecutive overs.
Shafiq was caught by Graeme Smith at slip on 40 off the bowling of Vernon Philander, only for the umpires to check upstairs where a replay confirmed that the bowler had overstepped.
In the next over, Misbah slashed a Jacques Kallis delivery straight to backward point, but was put down by Robin Peterson.
A wicket for each of South Africa’s four seamers had seen the home side edge towards victory after declaring its second innings on 3-275 to set Pakistan 480 to win.
Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Philander and Kallis all claimed a scalp apiece as the Proteas chipped away at Pakistan’s batting lineup.
Philander had set the ball rolling before lunch when he had Mohammad Hafeez caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper De Villiers, and a sustained assault by all four pacemen after the break ensured a triple breakthrough in the second session.
Pakistan opener Nasir Jamshed had scored a brisk 39 in the first session, but added just six runs after lunch before he flicked a Steyn delivery to Peterson at short mid-on.
Azhar Ali was the next batsman to go, trapped lbw by Kallis, and Younis Khan followed when he edged a Morkel delivery through to De Villiers.
That left the tourists on 4-80, but Misbah and Shafiq dug in to keep Pakistan’s hopes alive, as slim as their chances may be.
Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore expects that the unbeaten 101-run partnership will have given heart to the other players, which was greatly needed after his side was bowled out for 49 in the first innings.
“What’s important is that it gives a few of the other players’ confidence for the next couple of days,” he said.
“We have nine out of 11 playing here for the first time, so it was a learning curve right from the beginning.”