Younus gives Pakistan faint hope

FIRST TEST, KARACHI: South Africa 450 & 264-7d; Pakistan 291 (day four, stumps)

Younus Khan counterpunched with a brilliant unbeaten 93 as Pakistan, set a record 424 to beat South Africa in Karachi, ended day four on 146-3.

The tourists had declared at tea on 264-7 with Jacques Kallis 100 not out, his second century of the match.

Pakistan then slid to 20-2 as the tourists scented victory, but Younus and Faisal Iqbal (44) rallied.

Younus scored his runs off just 99 balls, and was confident enough to hit four boundaries off the final over.

Kallis began the day in a partnership with Ashwell Prince which realised 88 runs in all.

Danish Kaneria, not called upon in the first hour, struck relatively quckly to bowl Prince for 45 - the batsman chopping a delivery onto his stumps.

AB De Villiers lasted just three balls, getting himself into a tangle facing Rehman and seeing his off-stump pegged back.

But Kallis continued to bat serenely en route to becoming the fourth South African to hit two centuries in a single Test.

He hit just three boundaries in the first session of the day, all through the off-side, and none between lunch and tea.

The only show of real aggression was a six over mid-wicket off Abdur Rehman to take him to 96.

South Africa's lead was further enhanced by Mark Boucher (29) and Andre Nel (33 - his best in Tests) before they fell attacking the spinners.

Abdur Rehman, the Pakistan spinner on debut, impressed again with his second four-wicket haul of the match.

His 8-210 were the fourth best figures by a Pakistan bowler playing his first Test.

But the pressure was all on the hosts when Dale Steyn took two early wickets.

The paceman bowled Mohammad Hafeez off an inside edge as the batsman chased a wide one and was then ably assisted by a brilliant catch at short leg by Hashim Amla to end Salman Butt's interest in the match.

Younus and Iqbal put on 114 in just 24 overs and it took a slightly fortuitous bit of cricket to end their partnership just before stumps.

A Paul Harris delivery took the edge of Iqbal's bat and the ball went to slip via wicket-keeper Mark Boucher's gloves.

Pakistan face a huge task to avoid defeat.

West Indies' 418-7 is the previous highest score to win a Test, against Australia in Antigua in 2003.

Pakistan's previous best fourth innings score to win a match was the 315 they made - also in Karachi - against Australia in 1994 to win a famous Test by a wicket.

The highest score ever made in the subcontinent batting last is the 364-6 by India in a drawn Test against Pakistan at Delhi in 1979.

Australian wicket-keepers Ian Healy and Adam Gilchrist have sent messages of congratulations to Mark Boucher after he broke Healy's world record for most Test dismissals.

Source: BBC Sport