A fascinating cut and thrust Test was given a suitably thumping finale as a counter-attacking sixth-wicket stand of 99 between Younis Khan and Kamran Akmal guided Pakistan to a series-levelling victory at Port Elizabeth. They had been rattled by the combined efforts of Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini, slipped to 92 for 5, before Younis and Akmal eased the tension and finished the match with a flurry of boundaries.

Their partnership was laced with copious amounts of luck, especially for Akmal who pierced the slip cordon with three boundaries before he'd reached 20. But it was a redeeming innings for the wicketkeeper, who endured a torrid match with the gloves and owed his side a contribution. The composure of Younis at the other end was a key factor, as he refused to be drawn into the antics of the South African bowlers. His vital half-century came off 106 balls and the stand moved along at more than four-an-over, after a morning run rate of under three.

But it was Akmal who was brave enough to change the course of the game. Having watched the top order roped in by supremely accurate bowling he decided to chance his arm, putting the pressure back on the bowlers. The South Africans became obsessed with trying to bounce him out, especially the under-par Andre Nel, and Akmal rode on his adrenalin rush. His fifth half-century came off just 61 balls and it was his rash of shots that carried Pakistan home. ...

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