25 Nov 2010

New captain saves draw for Pakistan

5:51 am on 25 November 2010

Misbah-ul-Haq played a captain's knock of 58 not out to salvage a draw for Pakistan in the second cricket Test against South Africa in Abu Dhabi and finish the two-match series without a result.

Misbah countered South Africa's bowlers on a weary fifth day pitch at Abu Dhabi Stadium, taking Pakistan to 153-3 after they were set a 354-run target in 82 overs.

Misbah added 87 for an unbroken fourth wicket stand with Azhar Ali, who made 28 not out, after South Africa threatened to run away with a victory by taking three wickets in the space of eight balls soon after lunch.

South Africa had declared their second innings at 203-5 after batting for half an hour on the final morning, but ran out of time to enforce a result.

Pakistan have still not won any Test series since beating the West Indies at home in 2006, losing their last six and drawing four.

AB de Villiers, who hit South Africa's highest Test score of 278 not out, was declared man-of-the-match.

South Africa won the preceding two-match Twenty20 series 2-nil and the five-match one-day series 3-2.