Pakistan seek series win after Dubai defiance

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq said his team can build on their rearguard action in drawing the first Test and turn the tables on South Africa in the second match which starts on Saturday.

Set a mammoth 451-run target, Pakistan defied South Africa on the final day of the first Test in Dubai on Tuesday after scoring their highest fourth innings total of 343-3, with Younis Khan notching a brilliant undefeated 131.

Misbah said his team enters the second Test -- the first-ever in Abu Dhabi cricket stadium -- with their tails up.

"We needed a Test like the one in Dubai, fighting our way and proving our worth," said Misbah, who captained Pakistan for the first time. "Our confidence is high and we will do our best to win the second Test."

Pakistan, who have been embroiled in spot-fixing and players' disciplinary problems for much of the last year, have not won a Test series since beating the West Indies at home in 2006.

They have also been forced to play their home matches in United Arab Emirates, New Zealand and England as international teams refused to tour Pakistan because of security fears in the troubled country.

Misbah said batting the whole fifth day in the first Test gave his players enormous belief.

"We weren't playing much Test cricket, so playing world's second ranked team in Tests was a challenge and after drawing the first Test we now have a belief that we can win also," said Misbah, who scored 76 not out on the final day.

Apart from fighting on the field, Pakistan also had to handle the absence of experienced batsman Mohammad Yousuf, who pulled out minutes before the toss because of the recurrence of groin injury.

Paceman Wahab Riaz was unable to bowl after suffering a side strain on the first day and like Yousuf returned home.

Pakistan have experienced Mohammad Sami and uncapped Tanveer Ahmed to chose Riaz's replacement while young batsman Umar Akmal, who came in for Yousuf in the first Test, will make way for Asad Shafiq who has yet to play a Test.

Akmal lost his place after playing a rash shot in the first innings, scoring just four.

Graeme Smith hoped the Abu Dhabi pitch will offer some help to bowlers.

"I don't want to criticise the pitch in Dubai, but it got slower and slower and didn't help the bowlers," said Smith. "Hopefully there will be more life in the pitch in Abu Dhabi."

Teams (from):
Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Imran Farhat, Taufiq Umer, Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Adnan Akmal, Umar Gul, Tanveer Ahmed, Mohammad Sami

South Africa: Graeme Smith (captain), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Paul Harris, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Ashwell Prince, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe

Umpires: Daryl Harper (AUS) and Asoka De Silva (SRI)
Tv umpire: Ahsan Raza (PAK0
Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)
 

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