Centurion: South Africa want to bat Pakistan out of the first Test on a pitch likely to deteriorate, South African batsman Hashim Amla said after the second day's play at Centurion Park. 

South Africa were 254 for four at the close in reply to Pakistan's first innings total of 313.

"The ideal is to bat once," said Amla, who made 71 and helped South Africa recover from a shaky start.

"The pitch is quite good for batting but it is already starting to deteriorate and help the spinners, so batting fourth could be difficult,"he said.

The left-handed Ashwell Prince, who topped the averages in the recent series against India, was unbeaten on 77.

He came in with South Africa in trouble at 53 for three and shared stands of 90 with Amla and an unbeaten 111 with Herschelle Gibbs (58 not out).
 

Opening bowler Mohammad Asif, playing his first Test since having a doping ban overturned, was Pakistan's lone threat to South Africa's dominance, taking all four wickets for 58 runs.

"Asif bowled excellently," said Amla, who had to face the swing bowler in the third over after a great delivery had South African captain Graeme Smith caught behind for nought.

The score quickly became eight for two when AB de Villiers also fell to Asif, who swung the ball both ways.

"He asked good questions of the batsmen and bowled in the right areas. He reminded me a bit of Shaun Pollock,"he said.

Makhaya Ntini was mainly responsible for Pakistan failing to get the total in excess of 350 they had hoped for.

Paceman Ntini took five for 83, his 16th five-wicket haul in Tests, as Pakistan paid a heavy penalty for their obsession with hook and pull shots.

 Seven Pakistan batmen succumbed to hook or pull shots but Ntini said he had to work hard for his wickets.

"It wasn't our plan to bowl bouncers and get them hooking but when we saw how they played we put our fielders in the right places," said Ntini.