After the top order of South Africa had an unbelievable lower-order fight, Pakistan had a horrific situation of 23 for 4 in which they lost the game by 71 runs in the first innings in Rawalpindi. Senuran Muthusamy and Kagiso Rabada were the main contributors and both made a career-best score. Rabada made his first Test fifty off just 38 balls. So, for the first time in the series, Pakistan was playing a chasing game.
After South Africa fell to 4 for 50, Muthusamy was the one who kept the team going, even though he was not as stunning as Rabada. His 71-run partnership with Keshav Maharaj and 98-run partnership with Rabada on a pitch that was deteriorating gave South Africa a very strong position and it became the second time only that the ninth and tenth wickets made more than fifty runs in a Test, the first being the 1998 Adelaide Test.
South Africa strikes back with key wickets of Pakistan
In spite of the tailwind from the lower order, Pakistan were held to their level by the highly disciplined bowling. Harmer got Imam in front lbw, and Shan Masood went for a drive, losing his review. Rabada then had his hat-trick when he got Abdullah Shafique out after a loose shot was caught by Jansen at third slip.
However, Babar Azam made light of the situation, quite literally, as he timed his shots beautifully through point and cover while he and Saud Shakeel dominated the 44-run partnership. Saud Shakeel got only 11 runs from 43 balls and then edged to slip. Pakistan scored the first run of the innings when Rizwan took Muthusamy on the sweep and hit the ball through backward square leg for a boundary. Rizwan was instrumental in some of the day’s dramatics as he, by mistake, tripped the bail off and South Africa appealed for hit wicket, but the umpires calling a dead ball put a stop to it.
The South Africa lower-order batting on the one side and their top-class bowling on the other have left the Pakistan team trailing and under a lot of pressure, which means that the second day in Rawalpindi is going to be quite exciting.
