LAHORE, Oct 20: Fine bowling by Shoaib Akhtar and Danish Kaneria have virtually placed Pakistan in sight of their first victory over South Africa at home at the end of an absorbing fourth day’s play of the first Test at Gaddafi Stadium on Monday.

Only a mini-miracle can now deprive Pakistan of a well-deserved success who except for the third day outplayed South Africa in every department of the game.

When the stumps were drawn for the day with 4.4 overs still to be bowled, Pakistan needing 161 to win, were 137 for the loss of one wicket, just 24 runs away from going one up in the two-Test series with nine wickets in hand.

Shoaib, who later left the field with hamstring injury, removed the cream of South African batting to return figures of four for 36 while Danish ended the visitor’s innings outfoxing Shaun Pollock with a googly to return with the outstanding figures of five for 46, his fifth five-wicket haul in his short career.

The visitors once again got a raw deal from Australian umpire Darrell Hair who had a very poor match when he adjudged two of their premier and set batsmen Herschelle Gibbs (59) and Jacques Kallis (18) caught at slip by Taufiq and wicket-keeper Moin Khan respectively, when TV replays clearly showed that the ball had struck the batsmen’s shoulders off fiery Shoaib.

Both the decisions took the stuffing out of the South African batting. Later apart from a fighting 46 by a brave Gary Kirsten who sustained two fractures and required ten stitches after being hit by a nasty Shoaib thunderbolt in the first innings there was no resistance and the last four wickets fell for four runs off just 13 deliveries.

South Africa, who started the day comfortably placed at 99 for one were bowled out for 241 just before tea, leaving Pakistan a modest total to chase.

And the excellent work of Shoaib and Kaneria was cemented further by the second century stand of the match, the first by a Pakistani opening pair.

Left-handed openers Taufiq Omar and Imran Farhat who improved the first innings stand of 109 to 134 in 138 minutes before the latter threw his wicket for the second time in the match.

Imran after scoring a stroke-filled 58 fell to part time off-spinner Graeme Smith. He might not have lost his wicket if the Pakistani openers had accepted the umpires offer of bad light. At the close Taufiq, who made 111 in the first innings, was unbeaten at 61 and Yasir Hameed on three.

South Africans, who had conceded 81-runs lead in first innings, were bowled out for 241 in their second innings after being comfortably placed at 99 for one overnight, adding just 142 runs while losing nine wickets.

Boeta Dippenaar, who was unfortunate to be given out in the first innings, was first to go when he mistimed a hook off Shoaib to offer a dolly to Yousuf Youhana. The visitors never recovered from Dippenaar’s early departure and wickets fell at regular intervals as none of the later batsmen stayed long enough to provide a challenging target for Pakistan to chase.

Meanwhile chief selector Aamir Sohail said that he would only include Inzamam-ul-Haq in the team for the second Test against South  Africa, if he (Inzamam) considered himself fit to play.

“I will take him for his word and I won’t need to rely on any medical test,” Aamir told Dawn.

Inzamam, who faced hamstring injury during the  second  ODI against South Africa at Lahore played the fifth ODI in Rawalpindi not fully fit. However he could not be fit for the first Test presently being played in Lahore.

Aamir  said that he would ask Inzamam about his fitness  on Tuesday before announcing the team for the second Test to be played at Faisalabad from Friday.

He said that team doctor Tauseef Razzak had assured him that Inzamam would be fit before the start of the Test.