Abbott fills big shoes

Kyle Abbott took seven for 29 on his Test debut to send Pakistan crashing to 156 all out on the second day of the third and final Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park.

Pakistan, forced to follow on 253 runs behind, were 14 for one at the close, with Mohammad Hafeez bowled by Dale Steyn with the first ball of the second innings. It left Pakistan facing an almost hopeless task as they tried to avoid a series whitewash.

Abbott, 25, was called into the South African squad as cover for the fast bowlers when regular reserve Rory Kleinveldt was named to replace the injured Morne Morkel.

The Dolphins fast bowler, the leading wicket-taker in domestic first-class cricket, found himself in the team when all-rounder Jacques Kallis suffered a calf injury the day before the match.

He bowled a tight line at a lively pace to take two wickets in an initial Pakistan collapse, which saw them slip from 46 for no wicket to 75 for four, then had a spell of five for five as the lower order and tail crumbled.

Six of his wickets were to catches in the slip cordon before he finished off the innings by trapping Younis Khan leg before wicket after the Pakistan veteran had battled for two-and-a-half hours and 86 balls to make 33. Younis barely had time to take his pads off before he had to face the second ball of the follow-on innings.

Imran Farhat, who made the top score of 30 in the first innings, did not open the batting in the second innings after being struck on the hand in the first innings. Azhar Ali opened with Hafeez, with Younis moving up to number three. AB de Villiers earlier reached his 16th Test century and his third against Pakistan.

... contd.

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