CENTURION, South Africa: South African fast bowler Marco Jansen admitted that his team faced a challenge after Pakistan took three quick wickets late on the third day of the first Test at SuperSport Park on Saturday with the hosts chasing 148 runs for victory.
Pakistan opening bowlers Mohammad Abbas and Khurram Shahzad had South Africa reeling at 27-3, 121 runs short of a win which would clinch them a place in the World Test championship final in England next June.
Abbas took two wickets for three runs in four immaculate overs of swing bowling, dismissing Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs, while Shahzad trapped Ryan Rickelton.
Aiden Markram, South Africa’s top scorer in the first innings, was unbeaten on 22 going into what could be a nervy fourth day for the hosts.
Jansen, who took six for 52 as Pakistan were bowled out for 237 in their second innings, said the pitch had “quickened up,” with some balls lifting sharply and others keeping low.
“If Pakistan keep on bowling the lengths they did now we will have a task on our hands,” said Jansen.
But he added that a victory target of 148 “isn’t too much.”

“We know the new ball moves quite sharply, especially in the second innings. Once the ball gets older it gets a lot easier to bat,” the 24-year-old added.
All three South African wickets were leg before wicket decisions as the Pakistan bowlers attacked the stumps — and all three were reviewed.
De Zorzi batted outside his crease in an attempt to counter the swing which undid him in the first innings, but Abbas beat his inside edge and he was given out.
He reviewed umpire Alex Wharf’s decision but replays showed the impact was “umpire’s call,” with the ball going on to hit the stumps, and he had to go for two runs.
Rickelton failed to score before he was trapped by Shahzad and Stubbs made one before falling to Abbas — with Pakistan successfully reviewing on both occasions after the batsmen were initially given not out.
It was a dramatic end to a day on which the start was delayed by three hours because of rain.
South Africa seemed well on target for victory when Pakistan were bowled out for 237 despite Saud Shakeel making an impressive 84.
Resuming at 88-3, Babar Azam and the left-handed Shakeel batted confidently, adding another 65 runs in 14.5 overs.
Babar made 50, his first half-century in 19 Test innings, before Jansen had a burst of three wickets in 14 balls, starting when Babar slapped a short ball to deep point.
Shakeel was ninth man out when he missed a full toss from Jansen after hitting 10 fours and a six in a 113-ball innings.
“I was looking for a yorker,” admitted Jansen. “I missed by a shin length.”

KARACHI: Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi remained paralyzed for a second consecutive day on Saturday as protesters staged sit-ins at ten locations to show solidarity with demonstrators in Kurram, where violence and a lack of medical access have claimed over 130 lives.
Kurram, a northwestern district of around 600,000 people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has long been a hotspot for tribal and sectarian violence, with authorities struggling to maintain control.
The area’s situation has necessitated travel in convoys escorted by security personnel, yet it failed to prevent an attack on Nov. 21, when gunmen ambushed a convoy, killing 52 people. The attack sparked further violence and road closures, restricting access to medicine, food and fuel in the region.
A grand jirga, or council of political and tribal elders, has attempted to mediate between rival factions, as protests in Parachinar, the main city in Kurram, have spread to Karachi, where the mayor, Murtaza Wahab, has criticized demonstrators for disrupting daily life in the metropolis.
“These protesters told [provincial minister] Nasir Shah Sahib that they were protesting peacefully on the side and had not blocked roads,” he told the media. “I informed him and the chief minister [Murad Ali Shah] that this was not true. Roads are indeed blocked, and people are facing difficulties.”
While affirming his support for the constitutional right to protest, he emphasized such actions should not disrupt life in a city.
“If the aim of a protest is to inconvenience people, disrupt a city’s system, prevent ambulances and fire brigades from operating, or hinder police and administrative vehicles, then I believe this is inappropriate,” he continued.
Wahab urged the protesters to move to designated areas for such protests.
“The media will cover your protest,” he added. “But if your aim is to paralyze the city, no responsible state can allow this.”
Karachi’s protests were called by the Majlis-e-Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM), a Shia organization, with demonstrators blocking main thoroughfares, including Shahrah-e-Faisal, which connects the airport to the city’s Red Zone, home to sensitive government installations, and major hotels. Another area that has been choked is Numaish, a vital junction linking the city’s central district to its commercial hubs.
MWM’s Karachi spokesperson, Syed Ahmad Naqvi, told Arab News the protests in Karachi were tied to the Parachinar sit-in.
“We are staging sit-ins at ten locations, and these will continue as long as the Parachinar protest persists,” he said. “Once their demands are met, the protests in Karachi will also end.”
Naqvi said the protests in Karachi were essential for drawing attention to the “overlooked crisis in Kurram.”
“Large-scale protests in Karachi highlight the situation in Kurram, where many precious lives have been lost in recent weeks but have received no attention,” he said.