Taufiq, involved in two big partnerships of the innings, scored 111 as Pakistan finished the day well-placed at 275 for four wickets in 95 overs — 45 runs behind South Africa’s first innings score of 320 with six wickets in hand.
Sidelined for almost six months due to an injury Taufiq batted for five hours 27 minutes for the century which was his second successive hundred against Proteas and career’s fourth century. He struck 16 fours and faced 217 deliveries.
Taufiq had two strokes of luck during his stay at the crease. First when on 17 he played a Shaun Pollock delivery on to his stumps but luckily the ball failed to dislodge the bails.
His second came when Jacques Kallis failed to hold on to a very difficult caught and bowled with his score at 56
Taufiq and Imran (41, seven fours, 103 balls) put on 109 for Pakistan’s best opening stand against South Africa 109, surpassing the previous best of 101 of Aamir Sohail and Saeed Anwar at Durban in 1997-98.
Imran who batted fluently in the early stages of innings but got out to a horrible stroke after he got bogged down in 40s. He came charging down the track to hoist Paul Adams out of the ground missed the ball completely and was clean bowled.
Soon after Taufiq’s departure, South Africa took the new ball but new man Shoaib Malik (27, five fours, 71 minutes) and Asim Kamal (49, two fours, one six, 161 minutes) making his Test debut held firm to deny visitors any further success. So far Pakistan’s young guns had put on 52-runs for their unbroken fifth wicket stand.
Asim, who survived a very confident lbw appeal off the first ball he faced from Andre Nel settled down to play an innings of authority. He even hooked Pollock armed with the new ball for the innings first six.
Earlier Yasir Hameed and captain Yousuf Youhana went cheaply caught by Mark Boucher playing reckless strokes off Pollock and Nel.
South African attack, apart from the second session, looked anything but menacing on a very docile track which offered nothing to seamers or the spinners.
Later Pakistan coach Javed Miandad said that Sunday will be vitally important and we would have to gain a big first innings lead to put the visitors under pressure.
Talking to reporters after the end of second day’s play hesaid that the batsmen did a great job, especially Taufiq Omar and Imran Farhat, by giving a solid start.
Centurion Taufiq said that he was under pressure but was not nervous and admitted that he was very much inspired by former Pakistan opener Saeed Anwar and Miandad.
SOUTH AFRICA (1st Innings) 320 (M.V. Boucher 72, G. Kirsten 53 retired hurt; Shoaib Malik 4-42).
PAKISTAN (1st Innings):
Taufiq Umar c and b Adams 111
Imran Farhat b Adams 41
Yasir Hameed c Boucher b Pollock 16
Yousuf Youhana c Boucher b Nel 8
Asim Kamal not out 49
Shoaib Malik not out 27
EXTRAS (B-2, LB-16, W-1, NB-4) 23
TOTAL (for four wkts, 95 overs) 275
FALL OF WKTS: 1-109, 2-151, 3-160, 4-223.
TO BAT: Moin Khan, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Mushtaq Ahmed, Danish Kaneria.
BOWLING (to-date): Pollock 17-5-42-1 (3nb); Ntini 19-2-61-0 (1nb); Adams 23-3-70-2; Nel 14-3-40-1; Kallis 14-2-30-0 (1w); Smith 8-1-14-0.