Du Plessis pulls off South Africa's great escape

The Test debutant made a hundred as the Proteas batted all day in Adelaide to prevent defeat.

Faf du Plessis (R) celebrates the draw while Peter Siddle expresses disappointment.

Adelaide: Debutant Faf du Plessis batted throughout the final day for a defiant unbeaten century to guide South Africa to a thrilling draw against Australia in the second Adelaide Test on Monday.

Man-of-the-match du Plessis occupied the crease for almost eight hours in a feat of physical and mental endurance to ensure the Proteas avoided defeat and take the three-Test series to a decider starting in Perth on Friday.

Australia must win the series to take the world number one ranking from South Africa.


In a gripping finish, lion-hearted fast bowler Peter Siddle had Dale Steyn caught at mid-wicket for a duck and then bowled Rory Kleinveldt (3) with a yorker deep inside the final hour of play.

Siddle gave everything in the final over of the Test in search of the last two wickets butMorne Morkel held on.

It was the second time the South Africans had batted out for a draw in the series after denying Australia's unlikely victory push in the Brisbane opener earlier this month.

At stumps Du Plessis, who needed physio treatment for cramps late in the day, was unconquered on 110 with Morkel not out eight in South Africa's 248 for eight.

Du Plessis, who scored 78 in the first innings, reached his dogged century in his maiden Test with a cover drive for two off Ben Hilfenhaus in the hour after tea.

He was at the crease for 464 minutes and faced 376 balls in his draining knock. He survived two reviews after being given out by umpire Billy Bowden and was dropped by wicketkeeper Matthew Wade on 94.

Du Plessis had his life on the penultimate ball before tea when Wade failed to hold a tough chance while standing up to the stumps to paceman Hilfenhaus.

He was also given out on 33 when he padded up and did not offer a shot to Michael Clarke's spin. But he stayed put after a review found the ball had pitched just outside the line.

Du Plessis was given out again by umpire Bowden after an lbw appeal by Clarke on 37, but another review showed there was no contact with the pad and the debutant batted on.

The allrounder's joy at reaching his milestone was tempered by the loss of the injury-restricted Kallis five balls later.

Kallis was caught off bat and pad at short leg by Ed Cowan off Nathan Lyon for 46 to end a gritty 99-run stand in 149 minutes with du Plessis.

The champion allrounder had been dropped by Lyon in a leaping caught and bowled chance on six. He played an invaluable knock even though restricted in his mobility by a hamstring injury.

The Proteas lost the wicket of AB de Villiers shortly after lunch when he was bowled by Peter Siddle for 33 with one that nipped back to clip off-stump.

Wicketkeeper de Villiers faced 220 balls in his stoic boundary-less knock in a study of concentration, putting on 89 runs for the fifth wicket with du Plessis in 68 overs.

The Proteas gave no thought to chasing down a huge and unlikely victory target of 430, scoring just 135 runs on the final day off 67 overs up to tea.

The most successful fourth-innings run chase at the Adelaide Oval stands at  the 315-6 Australia scored 110 years ago to overhaul England. The record overall winning chase is 418 by the West Indies against Australia in 2003.

Tahir creates new record for worst Test bowling

SA captain Graeme Smith consoles Tahir during the Adelaide Test.

South Africa leg-spinner Imran Tahir has recorded the worst bowling figures in a Test match.

His match figures of 0-260 in just 37 overs against Australia in the second Test in Adelaide has surpassed the previous worst ever by Pakistan's Khan Mohammad, who posted figures of 0-259 against the West Indies in 1958 - all from one innings.

Tahir's figures came from two innings in Adelaide, after 0-180 in Australia's first innings, he recorded 0-80 in the second dig completed on Sunday.

Adding to his insult, the Pakistan-born tweaker thought he had escaped the inglorious record by taking a wicket on Saturday when Australia opener Ed Cowan was caught at cover from his bowling.

Tahir again went wicketless and finished his nightmare with an average of 7.02 runs being scored from his 37 overs in the game. He managed just one lonely maiden.

Tahir's woes have drawn sympathy from his teammates, with former leg-spinner turned commentary doyen, Richie Benaud being blunt in his assessment.

"You have got a guy there ... who can't bowl," he said.

Kallis and Amla make Australia grind at Brisbane

Amla and Kallis are both approaching centuries as South Africa went into stumps at 255 for 2 on the first day at the Gabba.

Ponting helps Siddle to his feet after he dropped a caught and bowled chance from Amla. (Getty Images)

Scorecard | Action in Images


Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis are both approaching centuries as South Africa went into stumps at 255 for 2 on the first day at the Gabba in Brisbane today as play ended five minutes before the scheduled close just when Australia captain Michael Clarke took the new ball. But, umpires Asad Rauf and Billy Bowden ended the day's proceedings at the time despite only 82 overs being bowled in the day as the light was fading.

South Africa captain Graeme Smith will be pleased with the performance of his batsmen as three of the top four came good on a pitch that didn't do as much much was expected, but Australia will rue their missed opportunities. Amla unbeaten on 90 and Kallis, who is 84 not out, will look to not only reach their respective centuries, but also to extend their 136-run partnership for the third wicket at a venue where South Africa are playing their first Test match since 1963. The century stand between Amla and Kallis is their 11th in Tests; and only Kallis and AB de Villiers with 12 century stands are ahead on list of South African batting pairs with most century partnerships. 

Australia could have dismissed both Amla and Kallis though in the post-tea session with Peter Siddlebeing the central factor in both situations. While Kallis was caught off a Siddle no-ball when on 43, the bowler failed to hold onto a caught and bowled chance off Amla when the batsman was on 74. Siddle and the rest of the Australian team will hope these missed opportunites don't cost them too dear, especially as South Africa look all set to post a huge total.

The hosts will need to bounce back strongly tomorrow and the onus will be on the pace trio of Siddle,Ben Hilfenhaus and James Pattinson to improve on their first day's performance; with the pressure also increasing on off-spinner Nathan Lyon.


SOUTH AFRICA SHOW
Alviro Petersen missed a good chance to score his fifth century, but Amla reached the 5000 Test runs landmark as South Africa added 96 runs in the second session to go into tea at 186 for 2 after 55 overs. Amla was 69 not out with Kallis unbeaten on 37 as the pair went on a rampage just before the break finding the gaps in the field and hitting boundaries at regular intervals.

Hilfenhaus and Pattinson started the session well and kept things tight immediately after lunch but Kallis counter-attacked while Amla unfurled his signature drives and cuts as the Australian bowlers gradually buckled under the pressure as South Africa regained the momentum after Petersen's dismissal. 

Petersen, who reached his 50 from 99 deliveries, had a controversial let-off when he survived a loud LBW appeal from Hilfenhaus when on 51. The Australians went for their third referral but the TV umpire ruled "umpire's call" despite replays showing the ball first hitting the toe of the boot of Petersen's leading foot and heading for the middle stump as some part of the ball had pitched outside the off stump. The failed referral also meant Australia had no more reviews left for the rest of the South African innings. Petersen (64) then added insult to injury when he cut the very next delivery to the boundary, but his 127-ball innings ended when he mishit a Nathan Lyon delivery to Hussey at mid-on as the 90-run partnership for the second wicket came to an abrupt end against the run of play.

Kallis got off the mark with a boundary off Lyon, but then followed a good spell for Australia as the bowlers kept things tight and the batsmen found fielders more often than not. Amla had a close shave on 42 when he was well beaten by a Siddle length delivery, but soon reached his half-century in the 108th delivery that he faced with a glorious cover drive of Hilfenhaus. Kallis, meanwhile, stamped his authority with a six off Lyon even as he kept the scoreboard ticking over.


STEADY START
Pattinson trapped Smith plumb in front and got the decision in his favour after some drama; but this success apart, the first session of the three-Test series between Australia and South Africa at the Gabba in Brisbane today, belonged to the hosts.

Smith elected to bat on a greenish and lively wicket and his decision was vindicated as South Africa went into lunch at 90 for 1 in their first Test appearance in Brisbane for 49 years. At lunch, Petersen was unbeaten on 45 while Amla was 29 not out.

Hilfenhaus and Pattinson shared the new ball and neither managed to trouble Smith and Pattinson failed to make use of the early movement on offer and instead were too short and too straight allowing the Proteas' openers to play themselves in without encountering too many problems.

Smith, who got off the mark in the first delivery of the series, bowled by Hilfenhaus, survived a caught behind appeal by the same bowler in the third over despite Clarke asking for a referral as replays showed the ball had hit the pad and not the bat. But, Smith's luck ran out in the 11th over of the match - the first of Pattinson's second spell - when the young fast bowler convinced Clarke to use the second review and overturn umpire Billy Bowden's not out decision. Pattinson had pitched the delivery on a good length and the ball hit Smith's back pad and would have crashed into the off stump. Pattinson tested Amla early in his innings with the batsman surviving a loud LBW appeal that wasn't referred after Clarke consulted wicket-keeper Matthew Wade.

Pattinson and Siddle did cause some discomfort to Petersen and Amla soon after Smith's dismissal, but they soon started playing with confidence and rotating strike. The bowling woes were compounded by the fact that Hilfenhaus, who was the in-form bowler last summer, failed to make any breakthroughs even though he was economical. Lyon extracted some spin and bounce from the pitch, but that was negated by the fact that Amla didn't allow him to settle and hit him for a straight six. Petersen, who preferred going 
on the back foot for most deliveries, played the pull shot well and looked composed after the departure of his captain inside the first hour of play. 

Rob Quiney earlier became Australia's 429th Test cricketer and received his baggy green from the legendary Allan Border. Australia left out pacer Mitchell Starc and went with the spin of Lyon while the Proteas gave Rory Kleinveldt his Test debut in a four-strong pace attack.
 
South Africa are looking to repeat their historic series win in Australia four years ago against Clarke's third-ranked side. Australia can return to the top of the rankings with victory in the three-Test series, which also includes matches in Adelaide and Perth.