Port Elizabeth: Pakistancaptain Inzamam-ul-Haq and fast bowler Mohammad Asif put their side in controlon the second day of the second Test against South Africa at St George'sParkSaturday.

 Inzamam made an unbeaten 92 as Pakistan took afirst innings lead of 141. Then Asif, opening the bowling in the absence of theinjured Shoaib Akhtar, dismissed both opening batsmen as South Africareached 115 for three in their second innings, still 26 behind.

Inzamam's heroics overshadowed South African fast bowler Makhaya Ntini's300th Test wicket, with Pakistanadding 99 runs after Ntini reached the milestone by dismissing Mohammad Sami,who was the seventh man out.

Ntini said though that it had been a marvellous day even though Pakistan hadfinished so strongly.

"Inzy played quite a big role. It was one of those days that fittedhim," said Ntini.

There was a setback for Pakistan,however, when Shoaib did not take the field at the start of the South Africaninnings.

Shoaib, who was earlier seen in television pictures in an apparent verbalaltercation with Pakistancoach Bob Woolmer, went for a scan on a left hamstring injury.

Ntini refused to speculate on how many runs South Africa would seek to scorebut indicated he expected the remaining batsman to do well.

"The wicket is an absolute belter," he said.

"Once you get in, there is nothing the bowler can do," he said.

Inzamam batted at number eight after being off the field for much of SouthAfrica's dismal first innings of 124 after being hit in the left shoulder by aball during fielding practice before the start of play Friday.

The Pakistancaptain came out to bat at the start of play Saturday with his team totteringat 135 for six.

Sami helped him add 31 for the seventh wicket and Inzamam skillfully farmedthe strike to the frustration of the South African bowlers.

Inzamam was at his best in a last wicket stand of 74 with Asif, the bestpartnership of the match, with Asif having to face only nine balls out of 61before lunch as Inzamam seemed easily to be able to score off the fifth orsixth balls of overs.

Asif eventually faced 29 balls out of 122, the last of which uprooted hisoff stump as Ntini finished with six for 59.

Ntini, 29, earlier had Sami caught behind off an inside edge to become the21st bowler in Tests and the third South African to reach the 300 mark.

He unveiled a tee-shirt which proclaimed, 'Mdingi Express 300' with thenickname coming from the Eastern Capevillage in which he was born. It completed Ntini's 17th five-wicket haul inTests.

Inzamam was fortunate to survive an appeal for a catch behind off Andre Nelwhen he was on 13 in the over after Sami's dismissal.

The ball went through to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher off Inzamam's pad andumpire Peter Parker gave him not out. But slow motion replays showed that hegot an inside edge to the ball before it brushed his pad.

Inzamam was dropped on 35. An attempted hook shot against Jacques Kallisballooned off his glove but Boucher, leaping high to his left, could only getthe tip of his left glove to the ball.

Pakistan'sninth wicket fell at 191 when Inzamam was on 31 and he added another 61 runsbefore the last wicket fell.

Asif struck in the ninth over of South Africa's second innings whenSmith edged a low chance to first slip where Inzamam held a diving catch to hisleft. Then he bowled AB de Villiers with an in-swinger.

Sami bowled Hashim Amla and South Africa were in deep trouble at 61 for threebefore Jacques Kallis (50 not out) and Ashwell Prince (21 not out) took themthrough to the close with an unbeaten partnership of 54.

Prince had an escape on 17 when Kamran Akmal missed a stumping chance offleg-spinner Danish Kaneria.