PAK vs SA: Pakistan lose flurry of wickets as Tea is called
1. Visiting side lose back-to-back five wickets since play resumed on Day 3
PRETORIA: Play resumed on the third day of the first Test between Pakistan and South Africa at SuperSport Park, Centurion, after rain disrupted proceedings on Saturday.
As the game restarted, Pakistan's Babar Azam (16) and Saud Shakeel (8) resumed their innings, quickly erasing South Africa's lead of 90 runs. Babar reached his half-century, while Saud supported with a steady 36.
The pair added a crucial 62 runs in just 14 overs, giving Pakistan a slender lead. However, Marco Jansen struck again, dismissing Babar for his third wicket of the innings, placing Pakistan under pressure.
Babar’s dismissal triggered a collapse, as Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, and Aamer Jamal departed cheaply, leaving Pakistan struggling at 208-7, with Saud continuing to anchor the innings.
Day 2 Recap
On the previous day, Pakistan had launched a determined fightback with openers Saim Ayub and captain Shan Masood reducing South Africa’s sizable lead. However, three late wickets shifted the momentum back to the hosts.
Kagiso Rabada bowled the impressive Ayub for 28, while Jansen accounted for Masood (28) and Kamran Ghulam (4).
Earlier, South Africa’s Corbin Bosch delivered a dream debut performance, smashing an unbeaten 81 to lift his team to 301 in response to Pakistan's first-innings total of 211.
Coming in at number nine, Bosch added a potential match-winning knock to his opening-day bowling heroics, where he took 4-63 and became the 25th player to take a wicket with his first Test delivery.
Before Bosch's innings, Pakistan had been well-positioned after taking five wickets, including opener Aiden Markram for 89. Markram, who looked set for a century, fell to a short-pitched delivery from Khurram Shahzad, gloving the ball to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.
Pakistan hoped to limit South Africa’s lead, but Bosch and Kagiso Rabada added 41 runs for the ninth wicket before Rabada fell for 13.
Bosch continued his stellar form, reaching his maiden Test fifty with 15 boundaries. Alongside Dane Paterson, the pair put on 47 for the final wicket before Paterson was caught off part-time spinner Ayub, ending the innings at 301.
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Aamer Jamal, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas.
South Africa: Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson, Corbin Bosch.
