RAWALPINDI: Pakistan is in deep trouble after losing three wickets against South Africa who secured a narrow 71-run lead over Pakistan on day three of the second Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
Senuran Muthusamy and Kagiso Rabada’s phenomenal performances helped South Africa reach 404 in 119.3 overs.
Resuming their innings in reply to Pakistan’s 333 in the first innings, South Africa’s openers Ryan Rickelton and captain Aiden Markram aimed to provide a solid start.
Star spinner Asif Afridi summed up with figures of 6/79 in 34.3 overs, followed by Noman Ali with two wickets, while Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sajid Khan picked up one wicket each.
Yesterday, South Africa dismissed Pakistan for 333 in the first innings of the second and final Test as part of the ICC Test Championship 2025-27.
As per details, Pakistan resumed day two on 259-5 but Maharaj ran through their batting with figures of 7-102, his 12th haul of five wickets or more in Tests.
The star spinner Keshav Maharaj took all five of the morning’s wickets and got a seven-wicket haul.
However, he left South Africa with an awkward three overs before lunch but Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton saw them off without incident.
Early morning when the match resumed, Salman Ali Agha and Saud Shakeel put on 57 brisk runs to continue their sixth wicket stand.
They were in complete control during the first hour, milking the spinners while picking up the occasional boundary.
Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first against South Africa in second Test of the two-match series.
The green team made one change as 38-year-old Asif Afridi replaced pacer Hasan Ali to make his debut for Pakistan, while South Africa brought Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj in their playing XI.
The two-Test match series will be followed by three T20 Internationals (T20Is) and as many One Day Internationals (ODIs) to be played from October 28 to November 8. The squad for the white-ball series will be announced in due course.
It is pertinent to mention that announced free entry for all fans at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium for the second Test match between Pakistan and South Africa, giving cricket lovers a major reason to celebrate.
Ahead of the match, head coach Azhar Mahmood said it is a great opportunity to win a series against the Test champions.
He noted that the Lahore pitch offered a fair contest for both batters and bowlers and added that the final XI for the Rawalpindi Test will be decided before the toss.
South African captain Aiden Markram said playing in such conditions is always challenging. He acknowledged that Pakistan’s spinners Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan will again be a major challenge in Rawalpindi. He also confirmed that Keshav Maharaj is fit and will be part of the playing XI.
Playing XIs:
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha, Shaheen Afridi, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, and Asif Afridi.
South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Ryan Rickelton (wk), Tristan Stubbs, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Kyle Verreynne, Senuran Muthusamy, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, and Kagiso Rabada.
