Kallis who must rate as the top all rounder in modern cricket was a model of concentration, playing everything on merit, he just did not look like losing his wicket.

Saqlain, bowling very well, restricted the South Africans, bringing the run rate down to under 3.5 per over. The 200 coming up in 216 minutes and included a high percentage of boundaries, 28 fours and a six, coming off 366 balls.

Neil McKenzie just never looked comfortable at the crease, underlining his poor form during the season. Saqlain had him guessing at most deliveries but it was Waqar who got through his defence with a peach of a reverse swinger that got the through the gate of an expansive drive to knock the off stump back for 24 and South Africa 214 for five wickets.

With the weather holding out and the lights on, the players went to drinks with South Africa 226 for five wickets, Kallis on 90 and Mark Boucher looking dangerous on six.

Kirsten lucky to survive a leg before against Sami, when on 31, must have believed in Father Christmas when he pushed forward to Saqlain and edged to first slip only to hear the umpire call no ball. The next ball, Saqlain not dejected, repeated the very delivery, this time legal, to have Kirsten pushing forward and again edging to first slip on 56 and South Africa 155/3 after a 122 run partnership with Kallis.

Saqlain became the fifth Pakistan player to take 200 Test wickets when Boeta Dippenaar, on one, tried to force a rank log hop outside off only to get the bottom edge into the gloves of Akmal and South Africa suddenly 159 for four.

McKenzie survived a very confident appeal from Saqlain for a bat pad catch at short leg, television replays showing that the umpire was correct, and then had to contend with a bit of verbals from the bowler as tea approached.

Kirsten, the ideal partner for Kallis, helped the two to the 100 partnership in 131 minutes, off 193 balls, including 13 fours and one six. Kirsten scored 42, while Kallis contributed 51.

With only four bowlers to choose from, Waqar had to rely on Saqlain to do the majority of the bowling. Sticking to his task Saqlain restricted the South African pair, causing Kallis some irritation with the one turning the wrong way and beating Kirsten on the odd occasion outside the off.

Kirsten went to his 29th test fifty in 153 minutes off 101 balls including eight boundaries to leave South Africa on 141 for two as the third hour came up.

The 50 partnership between Kirsten (24) and Kallis (23) came up in 55 minutes off 74 balls. The feature of the partnership was the 10 boundaries, with each batsman crossing the rope five times.

Kallis, coming off a poor one-day series, was far more at ease at the crease. Striking the ball in the middle of the bat and timing it to near perfection and being most effective off his legs.

With the lack of swing under the prevailing conditions, it was even more surprising when Waqar started reverse swinging the ball as early as the 24th over. In addition he was getting the ball to skid through to the bat and twice had Kallis hurrying the shot to get the bat down to the lower bouncing ball.

The South African 100 came up in 128 minutes off 179 balls (28.3 overs) including 16 boundaries. Kirsten on 31 and Kallis on 33 had seen the hosts through the second hour of the match.

Kirsten took South Africa past the 50 in 58 minutes at the end of the 12th over with his third boundary out of 14 runs, while Jacques Kallis had stroked two fours, to either side of the wicket, in his eight runs.

As the players went to lunch Kirsten was on 26 and Kallis on 13. Between them they had crossed the boundary rope nine times.

With the conditions favouring the bowlers it was surprising to see the ball not swinging and moving around. Sami did get the ball to move away from the two left-handers, but a lack of any real movement was unexpected.

Smith, playing a few risky shots from the front foot at balls wide of the off stump, managed to get two edges through the slips to the boundary off Sami. Coming half forward, in the sixth over, he pushed at another ball outside the off to get a thin edge to the wicket-keeper, Kamran Akmal, taking a good catch low down to his left off Sami for 16 and South Africa losing its first wicket on 27.

Gibbs looked to be in control of his innings when he tried to force a ball off the back foot from Waqar, and not getting over the ball, gave Faisal Iqbal a easy chest high catch at backward point. Gibbs had stroked two boundaries in his 11 and Waqar’s decision to bowl first paying off with South Africa 33/2 inside of 10 overs.

Thirty minutes later the rain had moved on and play commenced at 10:40 local time. Weather predictions are that the rain is moving away from Durban so a near full day of play might be possible.

Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs opened the innings for South Africa while Waqar Younis and Mohammad Sami shared the new ball. Although conditions should favour the bowlers, the wet outfield may cause the bowlers some problems.

With a three: one lead in the seven Tests played between the two Nations and the convincing win in the past One-Day Series South Africa will be very confident on doing well.

Pakistan will not have the services of Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar, both have returned to Pakistan together with Rashid Latiff. They still have potential match winners in Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Abdur Razzaq, Saqlain Mushtaq and die-hard captain Waqar Younis.

The pitch looks like a good test pitch that with a bit of sun will be interesting on day four and five.

The toss was won by Pakistan who sent South Africa in to bat on an overcast dull drizzly morning. Waqar saying that he feels they will get the best out of the current conditions by bowling first.

South Africa team: GC Smith, HH Gibbs, G Kirsten, JH Kallis, N Boje, ND McKenzie, +MV Boucher, *SM Pollock, M Ntini, HH Dippenaar, M Hayward.

Pakistan team: Saleem Elahi, Taufeeq Umar, Younis Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Faisal Iqbal, Abdur Razzaq, +Kamran Akmal, Saqlain Mushtaq, *Waqar Younis, Mohammad Sami.