Pakistan 194 (Babar 58, Rabada 3-55, Maharaj 2-14) and 213 for 1 (f/o) (Masood 102*, Babar 81) track South Africa 615 times 208 runs
South Africa’s five front-line bowlers were made to toil on a surface that remains good for batting even if they are showing signs of a turn. They also bowled 23 no-balls across the two innings so far – 10 in the ongoing second innings alone – and will be disappointed by their ill-discipline. Their only second innings success came late in the day when Babar chased a full, wide ball from Marco Jansen and managed to slip. The night watchman Khurram Shahzad accompanied Masood until the end of the day.
After dismissing Pakistan for 194 midway through the afternoon session, South Africa forced the follow-on with an eye to wrap things up early. But Kagiso Rabada and Jansen both erred on the side of full and created just one chance between them. Rabada found Masood’s edge, with the Pakistan captain on 18, but the ball flew through the vacant third slip region, leaving Rabada crouching.
Change bowlers Wiaan Mulder and Kwena Maphaka barely threatened and Pakistan went to tea on 80 for no loss. Rabada and Keshav Maharaj resumed for the evening session and while Rabada tried a short-ball tactic, Maharaj found his turn but Pakistan played them both well. Masood’s fifty came when he pulled Rabada through mid-wicket and Babars came up with a drive from Jansen. It was the second time on the day that Babar raised his bat to a half-century after also reaching the milestone in the first innings, and his third consecutive fifty on this tour.
As both settled, South Africa’s frustration boiled over and Mulder threw the ball back at Babar as he stepped out of his crease to defend. He hit Babar on the shin and words were exchanged before umpire Dharmasena stepped in to cool things down. The only other bit of drama came when Rabada was convinced he had Masood lbw when he hit him on the knee and South Africa considered a review but Rabada had overstepped.
Masood got to his century with a flick of Jansen and celebrated with a glance towards the sky. Babar looked set to follow him but beat a slower Jansen ball and ran towards Bedingham at slip to give him his fifth catch of the day. Although Babar fell short of a century, he scored 108 runs during the day – 27 overnight and 81 in the second innings.
Pakistan resumed 64 for 3 under some cloud and found the early exchanges challenging. Rabada hit the beat, Jansen found extra bounce and although both made it difficult for Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, they were unable to remove them. Jansen hit Rizwan on the collarbone in the first 45 minutes when Rizwan attempted a one-armed move, but he recovered to hit Jansen for four and six in the same over.
Babar brought up the Pakistan hundred with an edge through slip and his fifty off the next ball when he chipped Rabada over point. But when debutant Kwena Maphaka angled one leg down, Babar followed it up in an attempt to tip it off his hips and turned towards Kyle Verreynne. A jubilant Maphaka took Imran Tahir style to a deep third with his teammates joining in the celebrations. It was the third time since 2022 that Babar has been strangled by the leg, the most suffered by a Pakistani thug in that time.
The Babar-Rizwan partnership was broken on 98 with the onus falling on Rizwan to keep chipping away. Towards the run of play, Rizwan advanced on Mulder and tried to smash him down the ground to reach his fifty but edged short on his stumps. And then Salman Agha, who had lamented the lack of turn when he bowled, was pulled forward by a Maharaj delivery that turned past the outside edge and was stumped.
Pakistan lost 6 for 76 either side of lunch, most of them due to loose shots. Aamer Jamal was dismissed by Rabada when he couldn’t resist a spin pull and Khurram Shahzad couldn’t hold down a square drive. It may not be down to the two to have done the job, but after the way Pakistan batted in the second innings, they can look back on their shot selection in the first with some regret, especially on this surface.
