2.1. Younus and Shafiq thwart South Africa

Ibrahim Moiz

14/2/2013

An outstanding rescue act from the plucky Younus Khan and the feisty Asad Shafiq extricated Pakistan from a top-order tangle to give the visitors a buoyant conclusion on the first day of the Cape Town. Pakistan had been reeling at 33 for 4 against South Africa’s new-ball sting when Younus and Shafiq joined forces with cracking hundreds to turn the tables on the home side.

It was a partnership as remarkable for its tenacity as for the skill involved; having begun with exceeding caution as South Africa’s seamers bossed the morning, Younus and Shafiq steadily constructed a fighting partnership that bloomed into a full-fledged turnaround by the evening. Initially watchful and not altogether untroubled by the home attack, Younus and Shafiq slowly patched the innings together and drove home their point in the evening session, the final ten overs before the new ball going at a run a ball as Younus’ expertise and Shafiq’s skill came fully to the fore.

Though Vernon Philander did manage to remove Younus, off a slightly puzzling decision, on the brink of stumps, the memorable comeback put the Test at an even keel, if not slightly in the visitors’ favour after South Africa had inserted the visitors on a track that, though moderately helpful to swing, offered significantly less pace or bounce than at Johannesburg. With their contrasting styles, Philander and Morne Morkel wrecked the Pakistan top order to initially vindicate the decision.

Having been coaxed into a corner by Philander’s teasing medium-paced accuracy and swing, Nasir Jamshed was dropped at gully a ball before edging the allrounder to AB de Villiers. Mohammad Hafeez, if modestly improved from his earlier efforts this series, then fell, predictably, to Dale Steyn’s outswinger before the ebullient Morkel bounded in to strike twice in an over, removing Azhar Ali off a flashing edge and Misbah-ul-Haq, who prodded a missile off his ribs straight to short leg (33 for 4).

Pakistan were again trapped in a mire by South Africa’s masterful pace attack, and it was a testament to the resilience and skill that Shafiq and Younus displayed that they were foiled for the remainder of the day. Shafiq seemed vulnerable early on when he flashed and missed a number of times outside off, but he soon warmed to his task and, as much as some neatly middled front-foot shots both in defence and attack, his back-foot strokeplaye showed the confidence and form that the small but resolute batsman was in; a back-foot punch off a short-of-length Philander ball was strafed as straight as extra cover, while Jacques Kallis was flashed over backward point with a daring uppercut and flung with a hard-handed pull through midwicket.

South Africa were hampered by their relatively weak spinner Robin Peterson, who had barely bowled at Johannesburg’s springboard and here was found wanting on a more helpful pitch; too often he dropped short, allowing Shafiq—an accomplished cutter of spin—to settle as well as Younus to unfurl his full repertoire of shots. As striking as Younus’ determination and ability was his expert pacing of the innings; having begun with a brace of striking drives to spread the hitherto tight field, Younus then quietly shifted into first gear either side of lunch, ticking the singles over and defending judiciously, before launching an all-out attack on Peterson.

A flat-batted swat into the midwicket stand off a Peterson long-hop—one, sadly for South Africa, of many—brought up Younus’ fifty off 135 balls, and he enjoyed the feeling that he promptly dispatched his next fifty in just 57 balls. Bringing out the extravagant sweep against Peterson’s flight, Younus suddenly stampeded towards a century, stepping out to slam the spinner twice over his head into the long-off stand. Shafiq joined in the fun, flinging himself into pulls off the fast bowlers and swinging Peterson into the long-on stand; with the attack having preceded the second new ball, the pair settled in to stake out that challenge.

By the end of the day, before Younus’ knock was cut short in strange circumstances, the umpire initially giving it out leg-before to Philander before replays showed instead a thin edge to de Villiers, the pair had notched up centuries that they can rightly claim as some of the finest efforts of their respective careers.