Without their best batsman of the first Test, South Africa have managed to post 460-4 against Pakistan, with a lead of 361 in the bag. Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers ended the day unbeaten on 227 and 157 respectively, on a day where Pakistan’s bowlers were left to toil and couldn’t even get their reviews right.

South Africa have never lost a Test in which Smith has scored a ton. He has 27 of them now, and the side has won 17 of the games in which he scored a hundred while drawing the rest. It’s only the end of the second day, but South Africa are very much sitting in the pound seats. There is no logical reason for them to declare any earlier than lunch or even tea on the third day. Having to not bat again will be a massive morale boost for the beating they took in the first Test.

It’s not quite game, set and match just yet, but Thursday went a long way towards setting the foundation for a rather incredible victory. Here are five talking points from the day.

Graeme Smith does it again

Before the tour of the UAE, Graeme Smith had not played competitive cricket since May this year. He’d not played Test cricket since February, he’d had surgery on his ankle and he’d lost 12kgs. Under any normal circumstances, his knock would have been impressive, under preceding and pressurised circumstances, his knock was phenomenal. His incredible record as a player continues to grow, he’s the first South African captain to score five double hundreds, he has the most runs for any playing captain, he has just passed the 9,000-run mark and has captained his team to more wins than anyone else. His double hundred in Dubai was just another notch in his already illustrious belt. Scoring those runs might not have come with any grace or style or elegance, but he is incredibly effective and manages to prove his detractors wrong time and time again. Smith is surely South Africa’s most decorated and best-ever captain in Tests and the Proteas are very fortunate to still have him in their midst.

Delicate duels in team sports

Few other team sports, if any, provide such intimately personal sub-plots on top of the team duels. On Thursday, Graeme Smith and Mohammed Irfan got stuck into a magnificently entertaining contest. Irfan, the gentle giant, had been running in with frustration all day while Smith had been treating him with disdain. The bowler eventually got one back and pinned him on the side of the helmet with a bouncer. Irfan continued to bowl short and Smith continued to duck and share a few words. From an entertainment perspective, it was glorious to watch as Irfan, the quiet behemoth, let the ball do the talking – all while he must have felt like he had a splinter in his toe. Smith was that splinter personified and eventually won the battle by scoring and scoring and scoring. By the end of the day, Pakistan were completely ground into the dust.

AB de Villiers, the savage Test batsman

Of those players who have adapted their Test style to a more modernised version, few are better than AB de Villiers. Those who once harboured any concerns of his decision to keep wicket having an impact on his batting have put those to rest. When De Villiers is on form, he is savage and almost disrespectful. Whenever the opportunity allowed for it, De Villiers savagely swept Pakistan’s spinners, but not so savagely that you’d forget he was playing a Test. His strike rate was still below 60.00 by the close of play. He’d hit 16 fours and one six in a knock that would have left the connoisseurs of batting gasping for air while begging for more at the same time. By close of play, De Villiers remained unbeaten on 157, meaning he’s now scored 736 runs in 2013 at an average of 92.00 in just seven Tests; he’s 52 runs adrift of Bell, who has 788 in 10 Tests. What’s even more remarkable is that De Villiers managed to get all those runs in just 10 innings, whereas it took Bell 19. Brutal, classy and so incredibly entertaining, De Villiers is oozing style. And Pakistan are probably kicking themselves for dropping him early on.

Confidence against spin

It’s amazing what a little bit of belief does. In the first Tests, South Africa struggled against the spin. They weren’t confident to score against it, not with singles and certainly not with boundaries. That has all changed this time around. Whether it’s taken a good talking to from the coach or whether they’ve simply realised that it really isn’t as scary as they think, their approach has been far more positive. Smith scored 142 of his runs off the spinners and De Villiers 98, while eight of Smith’s 16 fours came off Saeed Ajmal. Pakistan have bowled poorly in parts, but they’ve not been poor all through. It’s the change in mindset of knowing what to attack and what to ignore. South Africa have returned to looking like the number-one ranked team they are after a few jitters.

The worst reviewers ever?

Pakistan became the first team ever to manage four unsuccessful reviews in an innings. With the new rules, allowing a top up of reviews after 80 overs, Pakistan have been bestowed with the dubious honour of being one the worst reviewing teams ever. Pakistan are hardly unfamiliar with the Decision Review System, but their mistakes speak more of their desperation than their struggles to comprehend the system. Overall, the officiating in the series has been miles better than the catastrophe witnessed during the Ashes this year. The topping up of reviews has proven to not be a complete and total failure and while teams still use it as a gamble far too often, it least its sanity prevails when those who are in charge of it know how to use it.

Day two close of play summary

South Africa 460 for 4 (Smith 227*, de Villiers 157*) lead Pakistan 99 (Babar 25*, Tahir 5-32, Steyn 3-38) by 361 runs. DM

Photo: South Africa’s Graeme Smith plays a shot during the second day of their first cricket test match against Pakistan in Johannesburg, February 2, 2013. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings