South Africa's unbeaten run in Test series on the road will extend even further after their victory in Dubai, which allowed them to share the spoils of this two-match rubber with Pakistan. The last time South Africa lost a Test series abroad was in Sri Lanka in 2006. Since then, they have become the No. 1 ranked Test team and they will stay there, but their lead will be cut by four points by virtue of the drawn series.
Pakistan have risen to No. 4, thanks to their victory in Abu Dhabi, but were unable to protect fortress UAE, losing in their adopted home for the first time since moving here in 2010. They went down fighting though, with Asad Shafiq notching up his highest score in Test cricket and sharing in a 197-run fifth wicket stand with Misbah-ul-Haq, which kept South Africa in the field for much longer than they would have liked.
On the fourth evening, AB de Villiers said the team felt they were one wicket away from running through Pakistan. That dismissal only came 20 minutes before tea as Misbah, who had treated South Africa's attack with the caution of someone handling a shipment of crystal glasses, gifted Dean Elgar, the part-time spinner, his first Test wicket. In Elgar's second over, Misbah attempted to slog him out of the park but got a thick outside edge which Jacques Kallis collected at first slip.
That ended a vigil in which Misbah had ushered Shafiq to his second century against this opposition, and the fourth of his career, and seen off the second new ball to put Pakistan in a position to frustrate South Africa even further. They had only one wicket-taking opportunity before Misbah's lapse in concentration, when Shafiq was given out lbw in the fifth over to a Vernon Philander delivery that pitched on leg-stump and hit him on the front pad. He was on 36 at the time and reviewed with replays showing the ball would have missed leg stump.
Shafiq survived and went on to play a balanced innings combining defence with attack, particularly against the spinners. His footwork against Imran Tahir and JP Duminy was excellent, typified by the shot of the day - a spank over midwicket off Tahir.
Misbah was more stoic, nudging the ball into spaces and encouraging Shafiq to keep the scoreboard moving, but not too quickly. They both brought up half-centuries off 121 balls before slowing down as the second new ball came. Once comfortable against it, Shafiq pushed past his captain after lunch. He danced into the nineties with a boundary off Duminy and brought up his century with a square drive off a full and wide ball from the same bowler. Encouragingly for Pakistan, once the milestone had been reached, Shafiq kept going.
Misbah will be furious that he did not do the same. Although South Africa's attack did not lapse into the lazy short-ball showing they put on in Abu Dhabi, they seemed to be running out of ideas. After trying everything from having two short midwickets in against the spinners - between whom Shafiq threaded the ball through - to having two short covers in for the quicks, Smith turned to Elgar to buy time.
Smith would probably not have imagined getting a wicket off the tactic, Elgar's delivery was innocuous as well, but once Misbah ran out of patience, the result was a foregone conclusion. Pakistan's tail proved pesky to remove even though they were without Zulfiqar Babar, who did not bat because of the torn webbing on his right hand.
With a ball short of 10 overs remaining in the day, Shafiq, after resisting for seven hours, was stumped off JP Duminy, to give him the same number of wickets as Tahir in the innings - three.
On this day in 1952 Pakistan won their first Test, beating India in Lucknow. They did not have reason to celebrate on their anniversary but they did enjoy some positive signs as they dragged the Test late into the fourth afternoon and pushed South Africa as much as they could given their first innings failing.
Du Plessis pleads guilty, fined for ball-tampering
South Africa batsman Faf du Plessis has pleaded guilty to the charge of ball-tampering and been fined 50% of his match fee. The match referee David Boon said that du Plessis' actions warranted the charge being brought against him, but also said that he was satisfied that it "was not part of a deliberate and/or prolonged attempt to unfairly manipulate the condition of the ball."
According to an ICC release, "Before the start of fourth day's play on Saturday, David Boon of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees handed the fine to du Plessis who had pleaded guilty on Friday evening."
Boon said: "I am satisfied that the player's actions warranted the umpires applying clause 42.1.1 of the ICC Test Match Playing Conditions, including the laying of a charge under the ICC Code of Conduct against Mr du Plessis in respect of changing the condition of the ball. After discussions with Mr du Plessis, he has elected not to contest that charge, but I am also satisfied that this was not part of a deliberate and/or prolonged attempt to unfairly manipulate the condition of the ball, and that the imposition of a fine of 50 per cent of his match fee is appropriate considering the circumstances."
The incident occurred two overs after tea on the third day, before the start of the 31st over, following television visuals of du Plessis rubbing the ball near the zipper of his trouser pocket. The TV umpire brought it to the attention of the on-field umpires Ian Gould and Rod Tucker, who called Graeme Smith over for a chat and subsequently changed the ball and awarded a five-run penalty against South Africa, sanctions that are consistent with the penalty for unlawfully changing the condition of the ball.
Du Plessis was charged with an article 2.2.9 offence of the ICC Code of Conduct which relates to "changing the condition of the ball in breach of Law 42.3 of the Laws of Cricket, as modified by ICC Standard Test Match, ODI and Twenty20 International Match Playing Conditions clause 42.1".
Some South African players - JP Duminy after play on day two and Vernon Philander before play on day three - had said they thought there was nothing amiss with the condition of the ball when it was changed. AB de Villiers, during the press conference on Friday, vehemently defended his side, saying they "are not a team that scratches the ball".
Penalties for offences such as du Plessis' under Level 2 of the ICC's code of conduct can range from a fine of 50% to 100% of a player's match fee to suspensions for one Test, two ODIs or two T20Is.
Ajmal reprimanded for on-field celebrations
Saeed Ajmal, the Pakistan offspinner, has received an official reprimand for his celebrations following the wicket of Morne Morkel on the third day of the second Test in Dubai. The celebrations were considered insulting towards the umpires.
The incident in question occurred in the 162nd over of South Africa's innings, when Ajmal appealed for a catch against Morne Morkel, but was turned down by umpire Ian Gould. Pakistan had no reviews left. Morkel was dismissed off Ajmal's next delivery, caught at first slip by Younis Khan, but the bowler celebrated continued appealing animatedly.
Ajmal was charged with breaching Article 2.1.4 of the ICC Code of Conduct which relates to "using language or a gesture that is obscene, offensive or insulting during an International Match".
The offspinner admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee David Boon.
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