Proteas on the brink of Test series victory over Pakistan

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The Proteas will be forced to come back on the fourth day and knock off 41 runs required to seal a Test series over Pakistan.

The home side’s pace battery did the business on Saturday at Newlands as the hosts bowled Pakistan out for 294 on the third day of the second Test.

The expected win on Sunday will see the Proteas complete a series victory, with them now taking a 2-0 lead going into the final Test at the Wanderers starting on 11 January.

It will also be South Africa’s seventh consecutive series victory at home in the longest format.

Facing a deficit of 254 after the hosts were bowled out in the morning session for 431, Pakistan collapsed from 159/1 to 294 all out.

Dale Steyn missed out on bagging his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket since August in 2016 as the fast bowler returned figures of 4-85.

He was well supported by the rest of the Proteas pace attack as Kagiso Rabada (4-61) while Vernon Philander and Duanne Olivier took a wicket apiece.

Pakistan will however be disappointed at the way they folded after Shan Masood and Asad Shafiq put on 132 for the third wicket.

Masood went on to score 61 before he undone by Steyn while Shafiq was postive as he made his way to 88.

Babar Azam batted well for 72 before Rabada got the batsman to nick one to Hashim Amla at first slip.

The Proteas took the final wicket to late in day to force a result on Saturday as the umpires deemed there would not be enough time to knock off the required runs.

Earlier, the hosts were bowled out for 431 with Quinton de Kock eventually going to 59.

Pakistan’s two left-arm pacemen Mohammad Amir and Shaheen Afridi both took four-wicket hauls.

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