PAK vs SA | Shan-Babar opening heroics ensure Pakistan barely hang on after conceding 400+ deficiton Day 3

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SportsCafe Desk

BySportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

62
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South Africa took a huge 421-run first-innings lead at Newlands as seven wickets from their pacers bowled out Pakistan for a paltry 194 on Day 3. However, the visitors rallied strongly upon following on, with openers Shan Masood and Babar Azam stitching together a 205-run opening stand.

Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan injected much-needed confidence into the Pakistan camp with a strong start on Day 3, adding 54 runs to their overnight stand of 43 runs to take the team past the century mark. However, things quickly fell apart when Babar Azam tickled one down leg to succumb for 58 and become Kwena Maphaka's first Test wicket. By Lunch, Rizwan and Salman Agha had followed suit to the dugout courtesy of Wiaan Mulder and Keshav Maharaj respectively, leaving the visitors reeling at 155/6. A scalp each for Kagiso Rabada, Maphaka, and Maharaj thereafter ensured the Men in Green folded out for 194, provoking South Africa to enforce the follow-on.

The narrative completely flipped thereafter as the Proteas pacers seemed to lose their venom despite some probing spells from Rabada with the Pakistan openers maintaining discipline throughout. Babar, forced to open in the absence of the injured Saim Ayub, scored his second half-century either side of Tea while Shan brought up his first Test century on South African shores. The two scripted the highest-ever opening stand for Pakistan in South Africa, the nation's first century opening stand in Tests in over three years as well as Pakistan's highest first-wicket partnership when following on, and looked set for a resounding finish to the day.

However, with less than a quarter of an hour left for the day's end, Marco Jansen struck big to dispatch Babar 19 short of a ton. Night watchman Khurram Shahzad battled through to Stumps without much ado thereafter as Pakistan ended the day on 213/1, still a good 208 runs behind their rivals with two days of play remaining.

Typical!

Stunning

Good

Why?

Superb

Too good

Brilliant

Highest ever

Tremendous

Lovely

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