October 06, 2007	Saturday	Ramazan 23, 1428

KARACHI, Oct 5: Dale Steyn’s inspired pace bowling led South Africa to a first historic 160-run win over Pakistan in the first Test at the National Stadium on Friday to go up 1-0 in the two-match series.

Pakistan’s second innings folded up for 263 shortly before tea after they began the final day at 146 for three in forlorn pursuit of an improbable world-record target of 424.

The only bright spot for the hosts on Friday was their former vice-captain Younis Khan making 126 – his 13th hundred in 54th Test and maiden against the Proteas – in what was his first century since the 173-run knock he played against England at Headingley in August 2006. It was only the second time Younis reached three figures in the second innings of a Test following his 194 versus India at Faisalabad in January last year.

The result also meant that both skipper Shoaib Malik and the national coach Geoff Lawson started their tenure with the Test squad on a losing note. Shoaib replaced Inzamam-ul-Haq as captain after the World Cup this year while Lawson, the former Australian fast bowler, took over as coach in July.

On Friday, there was nothing Shoaib, who was last out for a gutsy 30, could do as the South Africans chipped away at the rest of the batting to hand Pakistan just their second Test loss – the other was when England won by six wickets in the dusk of December 2000 – in 40 Tests at this venue where have won 21 and drawing 17.

It was the icing on the cake for Graeme Smith and his men because the South Africans were playing their maiden Test in Karachi.

“The lads really worked hard for this victory and it was a pretty emotional moment for us to win today,” Smith told reporters after the game. “In general, it was a team effort with everyone contributing. It was a matter of being patient on the final day. We knew Pakistan would crumble under pressure.”

It was South Africa’s first win in the sub-continent since they defeated Pakistan at Faisalabad in 1997, apart from their wins in Bangladesh since 2000 when they also beat India and Sri Lanka at their venues.

“To win in the sub-continent is always meaningful and this victory ranks there for me as a Test captain,” Smith added.

The tourists’ well-deserved success was set up by Steyn, who claimed his third five-for in 12 Tests, as he finished with excellent figures of 5-56 to give South Africa their eighth win in 15 Tests against Pakistan and only their second in this country.

Lawson tried to put a brave face at the post-match media conference, however conceded that South Africa outplayed Pakistan for the better part of the match.

“It was great disappointment for us to lose here. But all credit to South Africa who enjoyed better luck. If someone separated both teams it was Jacques Kallis,” Lawson remarked. “Had we managed to dismiss him for 36 rather than allowing him to get 155 in the first innings, who knows the end result would have been different.”

The departure of Younis with the total 197 virtually signalled the end for Pakistan who lost their last six wickets for 66 on either side of the extended lunch-cum-prayers interval.

Misbah-ul-Haq, who marked his Test comeback with a brace of 23, and Shoaib, revived faint hopes when they hung on grimly until lunch after Younis went in a replica of his first-innings dismissal.

Steyn pitched one just short of a length, enough to create doubt in the batsman’s mind. Instead of going forward, Younis played down the wrong line, while staying on the crease, and saw the reverse swinging delivery cannoning with the stumps.

Younis, who brought up the three-figure mark in 108 balls with a flicked square-leg boundary off Andre Nel, laced his wonderful innings with 18 boundaries and a six in a stay of 233 minutes during which he faced 160 balls.

Earlier, Nel got rid of nightwatchman Mohammad Asif when the tail-ender simply fended a catch to Hashim Amla at short-leg off an awkwardly lifting delivery to give the temperamental 29-year-old pacer his 100th Test wicket.

Only 10 other South Africans have reached this landmark; seven of them – including the retired Allan Donald and the out-of-favour Shaun Pollock – doing so since South Africa’s readmission into Test cricket in 1991.

After the break, Pakistan’s remaining five wickets went down like a pack of cards for 33 runs. Misbah’s patient vigil, lasting 132 minutes, came to an end when Nel swung into the right-hander to trap him in front; umpire Mark Benson answering the bowler’s vociferous shot in the affirmative.

Paul Harris, the slow left-armer who bowled intelligently throughout the match, sent Kamran Akmal back for nine when the wicket-keeper/batsman edged a catch to Boucher who nearly dropped the chance, but held it on the third attempt.

Abdul Rehman survived 20 balls without opening his account before Steyn, now armed with the second new ball, had him leg-before-wicket with another late swinging delivery that cut into the left-hander sharply.

Umar Gul was then taken at mid-off by Nel off Steyn for eight before Shoaib provided Makhaya Ntini with the only wicket of the match that fell to the South African spearhead. The Pakistan captain misjudged a quicker one, only to top edge the ball towards mid-off where Nel gleefully pocketed the catch to trigger the on-field South African celebrations.

The naming of Kallis, who scored two hundreds here, as the recipient of the Man-of-the-Match award surprised nobody.

The final Test of the series, which will also be Inzamam’s final international appearance, starts at the Gaddafi Stadium from Monday.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA: (1st Innings) 450 (J.H. Kallis 155, A.B. de Villiers 77, H.M. Amla 71, H.H. Gibbs 54; Abdul Rehman 4-105).

PAKISTAN (1st Innings) 291 (Shoaib Malik 73; P.L. Harris 5-73).

SOUTH AFRICA: (2nd Innings) 264-7 declared (J.H. Kallis 100 not out; Abdul Rehman 4-105).

PAKISTAN: (2nd Innings, overnight 146-3):

Mohammad Hafeez b Steyn 1

Salman Butt c Amla b Steyn 3

Younis Khan b Steyn 126

Faisal Iqbal c Kallis b Harris 44

Mohammad Asif c Amla b Nel 6

Misbah-ul-Haq lbw b Nel 23

Shoaib Malik c Nel b Ntini 30

Kamran Akmal c Boucher b Harris 9

Abdul Rehman lbw b Steyn 0

Umar Gul c Nel b Steyn 8

Danish Kaneria not out 0

EXTRAS: (B-8, LB-4, NB-1) 13

TOTAL: (all out, 84.5 overs) 263

FALL OF WKTS: 1-1, 2-20, 3-134, 4-161, 5-197, 6-230, 7-239, 8-249, 9-257.

BOWLING: Ntini 12.5-4-34-1; Steyn 15-3-56-5; Nel 19-5-59-2 (1nb); Harris 30-8-58-2; Smith 3-0-33-0; Kallis 4-3-4-0; Amla 1-0-7-0.

RESULT: South Africa won by 160 runs.

UMPIRES: M.R. Benson (England) and S.J.A. Taufel (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: Riazuddin (Pakistan).

MATCH REFEREE: A.G. Hurst (Australia).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Jacques Kallis.

SECOND TEST: Lahore, Oct 8-12.