Malik, Butt defy South Africa
Bureau Report

KARACHI—Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik and his deputy Salman Butt fought hard to avoid the follow-on against South Africa in the first Test at the National Stadium here.
Malik was unbeaten on 61 and Butt on 22 at the interval as Pakistan reached 219-6 at lunch on the third day. The duo brought the home team within 29 runs of avoiding having to bat again.
South Africa made 450 runs in their first innings. The pair came together at 149-6 with Pakistan staring the follow-on in the face. Malik led the fightback and was ably supported by Butt, with their seventh wicket stand so far worth 70 runs. Malik drove left-arm spinner Paul Harris for his fifth boundary to complete his half-century off 118 balls. He has so far hit six boundaries and a six during his 131-ball knock. The six brought Malik to 1,000 runs in Test cricket.
Butt could not open the innings on Tuesday after being hospitalised with stomach pains, but he batted with confidence after coming in at number eight, hitting pacemen Andre Nel and Makhaya Ntini for two boundaries. Butt, who defied a doctor’s advice to take two-days rest, looked in no pain and has so far hit four boundaries. Resuming at 127-5, the home team lost Abdul Rehman in the eighth over of the day when Nel forced an edge off the bat which was well taken behind the stumps by Mark Boucher. Rehman made nine.
South African captain Graeme Smith made changes but failed to get the seventh wicket as Malik and Butt continued to put their heads down on a pitch which still looked good for batting. Jacques Kallis hit 155 on the second day to help the tourists put up a commanding first-innings total. Pakistan seized back some of the momentum in this Test on a riveting third day’s play, first saving the follow-on and reducing the innings lead with some spirited batting from Shoaib Malik, the captain, and the tail, and then picking up three quick wickets in the last session. However, South Africa retained in the dominant position, ending the day with an overall lead of 235 and Jacques Kallis and Ashwell Prince at the crease.
Malik, who formed an 84-run partnership with Salman Butt, batting lower down the order due to a stomach ailment, combined solid defence with controlled aggression. He stuck to a bat-and-pad tactic against Paul Harris, who failed to get much turn and bounce in the morning, and hit the lacklustre Makhaya Ntini for six fours.
He brought up his half-century with a straight-driven four off Harris and reached 1000 Test runs with a huge six over long-on after jumping down the pitch. But Graeme Smith’s decision to refuse the new ball and stick with Harris and Andre Nel paid off when Malik was stumped by Boucher off Harris when he looked set to take Pakistan to a decent total.
That dismissal led to some tension in the Pakistan camp as 13 runs were still required to avoid the follow-on with two wickets remaining. It was left to Kaneria’s cameo of 26 to take Pakistan close to the 300-mark. He edged a few past the slips, slashed some over point and even flicked a wayward Dale Steyn over square leg to reduce the deficit as he added 53 runs with Nos. 10 and 11.
Harris, easily South Africa’s bowler of the day, added three wickets to his overnight tally to end with his first Test five-for. None of the fast bowlers apart from Nel, who bowled with much pace and venom, caused the batsmen any problems on a deteriorating pitch.