The stodge and the fury
Following Jacques Kallis's hundred, Younis Khan's madcap counter in the last session showed that Pakistan are also in the game, though only just
04-Oct-2007
![]() |
![]()
|
A Jacques Kallis-sized imprint awaits this Test. His hundred in the first
innings was, in his own unique, expressionless way, his most purposeful;
certainly it was his fastest.
It wasn't enough, for he picked up a handy wicket and a stunning slip
catch. And when Pakistan briefly threatened yesterday afternoon, he came
out and, as a father might an excitable son, calmly quelled a rebellion.
This afternoon, with his 26th Test century, he became only the fourth
South African to score a hundred in each innings. "To be one of the four
players to have done this for South Africa is something I will look back
at the end of my career and be very proud of. I've come close a few times,
but fortunately today I went all the way."
Unlike the first - which he put in his own favourite top three - this
hundred was from the Kallis we know: Airtight always, comfortable in his
own skin and composed at his own pace. The bowling, the fields, the
situation didn't give itself readily to strokeplay and after reaching
fifty, he didn't hit a boundary until he reached 90, whereupon he lofted a
towering six.
"This hundred was a more grinding innings and we just had to make sure we
had enough runs on the board," he said. "They were two totally different innings. The
first one to me was better because I struck the ball so well."
Through this Test, the tour even, the attractive idea that Kallis is
somehow responding to his Twenty20 dropping has gained currency. In
particular the pace of his first innings hundred fuelled, but as
nonchalantly as he deadbatted Pakistan's spinners today, he swatted away
the thought.
"It would've been nice to play at the Twenty20 but it's nice to start
again this season and I've had a good rest. Certainly it's the longest
break that I've had since I left school. It's amazing what breaks can do
for you especially if you are an all-rounder and are in the game most of
the time."
What Kallis' hundred and Younis Khan's madcap counter in the last session
showed is that Pakistan are also in the game, though only just. The way
the pitch has been spoken about, in particular its disintegration, there
was some surprise a pitch even existed when the players walked on this
morning. But Kallis confirmed it's there, and in better shape than many
thought.
"It's still a good batting wicket though we would have taken three down at
the end of the day," Kallis said. "Perhaps they got a few more runs than
we would have liked but there's enough happening on the wicket for us to
get those seven wickets. It's certainly going to be interesting day's
cricket."
That it is, especially if Younis hangs around. "He came out and played
positively," Kallis acknowledged. "I don't think we bowled as well as we
could have bowled but to be fair to him he put the pressure on the bowlers
and played really well.
"But in a way it's quite nice for us because if they are going for a win
it would give us more opportunities. We are confident and a few early
wickets would do nicely for us."
Osman Samiuddin is the Pakistan editor of Cricinfo