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"I stuck to my game plan and tried to watch the ball as closely possible and get used to the pace of the wicket," he said after scoring 84 runs during South Africa’s first innings.
"Once you bat for a longer period of time, it definitely becomes easier and it was nice to get runs against one of the better bowling attacks around at the moment."
South Africa v Pakistan 2nd Test day 3, latest highlights
He felt 250 would be a reasonable total to chase and said the match was fairly evenly poised.
"I didn’t bowl particularly well on the first day but I feel I’m hitting my straps now and hopefully I can make a play tomorrow," he said.
"I think I will play an important role and it will be interesting to see Pakistan’s tactics tomorrow."
Azhar Ali and captain Misbah-ul-Huq consolidated Pakistan’s second innings to give them a lead of 112 runs at stumps on day three.
After losing two early wickets with only seven runs on the board, the pair steered Pakistan to 100 for three at the close of play, sharing an unbeaten 55-run stand for the fourth wicket.
The innings started badly for Pakistan when Mohammad Hafeez played across the line and Dale Steyn’s delivery hit him flush in front of the stumps. The finger went up before Pakistan had a run on the board.
Vernon Philander, running in from the Wynberg End, struck Nasir Jamshed high on the pads in the next over. He took too long to decide whether or not to review the decision and left the field also having made a duck.
Younus Khan and Ali added 38 runs for the third wicket when Younus (14), who made a century in the first innings, played a loose shot to Steyn and saw the ball trickle back onto his stumps.
Steyn bagged two for 24 while Morne Morkel limped off again, aggravating the hamstring which troubled him the previous day. He was unlikely to bowl again in this Test and would also probably miss the third Test in Centurion.
South Africa were all out for 326 with the biggest contribution coming from Peterson. He came to the wicket with the score on 164/6 and batted with the tail to reduce the first innings deficit to just 12 runs.
He shared an eighth-wicket stand with Vernon Philander (22) worth 67 runs and was eventually caught by Umar Gul at long-on off a top edge to Hafeez.
Resuming the day on 139 for five, AB de Villiers and Dean Elgar added 55 runs for the sixth wicket, off 152 balls.
While Umar Gul showed his frustration after De Villiers was dropped on 34, by Ali in the gully, it was Saeed Ajmal who added to his overnight five-wicket haul and broke the partnership.
Ajmal gave the ball a bit more flight, enticing the drive, but Elgar (23) did not get enough bat on it and sent his outside edge to Younus at slip.
De Villiers smashed his sixth boundary to reach his half-century off 91 balls, but the contest between batsman and bowler continued as Ajmal followed up with an excellent ball, beating the bat with his doosra.
It was the seven foot paceman, Mohammad Irfan, making his Test debut, who got De Villiers, on 61, after he spooned a delivery to Umar Gul at mid-on.
Irfan finished three wickets for 86 on a flat pitch and Pakistan would regret not picking him for the first Test where the Wanderers pitch assisted the seamers.
"It was pretty terrifying seeing someone seven foot tall running in at you," Peterson admitted.
"You do get used to it after a while and the height fear disappears after a while."
It was off-spinner Ajmal though, who starred for the visitors, bagging six for 96 off 42 overs.
"Ajmal is a genius when it comes to spin. He bowls you about four different deliveries in each over and even if you can pick all of them, it’s tough to have that absolute concentration to see what he’s going to throw at you all the time," Peterson said.
"His record speaks for itself in all formats of the game and we had our hands full."
