Inzamam puts Pakistan in driving seat

Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq put his side in control on the second day of the second Test against South Africa at St George's Park Saturday.
Inzamam made an unbeaten 92 as Pakistan took a first innings lead of 141. Then he held a diving catch at first slip to dismiss opposing captain Graeme Smith off Mohammad Asif as South Africa reached 115 for three in their second innings at stumps.
Inzamam's heroics overshadowed South African fast bowler Makhaya Ntini's 300th Test wicket, with Pakistan adding 99 runs after Ntini reached the milestone by dismissing Mohammad Sami, who was the seventh man out.
There was a setback for Pakistan, however, when fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar did not take the field at the start of the South African innings.
Shoaib, who was earlier seen in television pictures in an apparent verbal altercation with Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer, was said to have gone for a scan on a left hamstring injury.
Inzamam batted at number eight after being off the field for much of South Africa's dismal first innings of 124 after being hit in the left shoulder by a ball during fielding practice before the start of play Friday.
The Pakistan captain came out to bat at the start of play Saturday with his team tottering at 135 for six. Sami helped him add 31 for the seventh wicket and Inzamam skillfully farmed the strike to the frustration of the South African bowlers.
Inzamam was at his best in a last wicket stand of 74 with Mohammad Asif, the best partnership of the match, with Asif having to face only nine balls out of 61 before lunch as Inzamam seemed easily to be able to score off the fifth or sixth balls of overs.
Asif eventually faced 29 balls out of 122, the last of which uprooted his off stump as Ntini finished with six for 59. Ntini, 29, earlier took his milestone wicket when he had Mohammad Sami caught behind off an inside edge. He became the 21st bowler in Tests and the third South African to reach the mark.
He unveiled a tee-shirt which proclaimed, "Mdingi Express 300" with the nickname coming from the Eastern Cape village in which he was born. It completed Ntini's 17th five-wicket haul in Tests. Inzamam was fortunate to survive an appeal for a catch behind off Andre Nel when he was on 13 in the over after Sami's dismissal.
The ball went through to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher off Inzamam's pad and umpire Peter Parker gave him not out. But slow motion replays showed that he got an inside edge to the ball before it brushed his pad.
Inzamam was dropped on 35. An attempted hook shot against Jacques Kallis ballooned off his glove but Boucher, leaping high to his left, could only get the tip of his left glove to the ball. Pakistan's ninth wicket fell at 191 when Inzamam was on 31 and he added another 61 runs before the last wicket fell.
SCOREBOARD
South Africa: first innings, 124

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Pakistan, first innings (overnight 135-6)

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Mohammad Hafeez c Amla b Ntini         13

Imran Farhat c De Villiers b Ntini      0

Younis Khan c Gibbs b Ntini            45

Yasir Hameed c De Villiers b Ntini      2

Mohammad Yousuf lbw b Pollock          32

Kamran Akmal c Prince b Nel            33

Mohammad Sami c Boucher b Ntini        10

Inzamam-ul-Haq not out                 92

Shoaib Akhtar c Boucher b Kallis        4

Danish Kaneria c Gibbs b Pollock        1

Mohammad Asif b Ntini                   7

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Extras: (b4, lb11, nb1, w5, pen5)      26

Total: (76 overs)                     265

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Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-17, 3-19, 4-79, 5-135, 6-135, 7-166, 8-184, 9-191
Bowling: Nel 23-2-68-1 (4w), Ntini 21-6-59-6 (1nb, 1w), Kallis 13-0-56-1, Pollock 14-2-42-2,Harris 5-1-20-0

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South Africa, second innings

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G Smith c Inzamam b Mohammad Asif      10

A de Villiers b Mohammad Asif          15

H Amla b Mohammad Sami                 16

J Kallis not out                       50

A Prince not out                       21

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Extras: (nb3)                           3

Total: (3 wickets; 52 overs)          115

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