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Pakistan's openers make a strong start after South Africa forces them to bat again
Pakistan's openers make a strong start after South Africa forces them to bat again
Babar, Masood fight hard 2nd innings for Pakistan after South Africa enforce follow-on.
Shan Masood gave the involved 102 runs while Babar Azam 81 runs and together they gave a total of 205 runs in the second innings on Day 3 at Newlands. helping their team fight back after South Africa forced them to bat again in the second Test. This was Pakistan's second-highest partnership against South Africa in Test matches, with the highest being a 219-run stand by Asad Shafiq and Younis Khan at the same ground in 2013. By the end of the day, Pakistan had cut South Africa's lead from 421 to 208 – an impressive effort after being bowled out for 194 in their first innings.
The match resumed after the tea where Pakistan resumed at 80/0. Shan Masood and Babar Azam were the stars of the match as they delivered some stylish drives and cuts fully taking the advantage of pitch that was rewarded for making good shots. Both batters enjoyed playing pull shots against the fast bowlers, reaching their 100-run partnership with ease.
With little pressure on the batters and growing frustration, Wiaan Mulder threw the ball back at Azam after he hit it straight to him, which fired up the crowd. South Africa also wasted a review for a catch at short leg, but technology showed there was no edge from Azam’s bat.
Adding to their troubles, South Africa bowled 10 no-balls in the second innings, bringing their total to 23 – 13, which came in the first innings.
When the match came to an end, Shan Masood showed some of the great moves in the nineties but without losing any nerves he hit a shot past mid-on for four to reach his century.
However, Babar Azam lost focus and edged a big drive to the gully, giving South Africa their only wicket of the session. Nightwatchman Khurram Shahzad ensured Pakistan didn’t lose any more wickets before play ended.
Earlier in the second session, South Africa forced Pakistan to follow on. Kagiso Rabada dismissed Aamer Jamal with a bouncer after Lunch. His next over was dramatic as Shahzad and Mir Hamza hit him for 15 runs. However, Keshav Maharaj got Hamza out at short-leg, and Kwena Maphaka finished the innings by dismissing Shahzad.
Sensing an opportunity, South Africa made Pakistan bat again by enforcing the follow-on. However, the early threat from Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen with the new ball wasn’t as effective as in the first innings. Shan Masood and Babar Azam scored boundaries regularly, with both bowlers conceding over 20 runs in their opening spells.
This came after Pakistan struggled in the first session. Azam was dismissed just five balls after the drinks break, caught down the leg side by Kwena Maphaka, who celebrated his first Test wicket with a sprint across the field. Mohammad Rizwan misjudged a shot and dragged the ball from Wiaan Mulder onto his stumps. Salman Ali Agha hit three boundaries during his quick 19 off 22 balls but was stumped by Keshav Maharaj. From there, South Africa bowled out Pakistan for 194.
If Pakistan can continue their strong performance in the second innings, the Test match could head for an exciting finish on the final day.
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