Masood, Babar put up a fight against Proteas at Newlands

Openers Shan Masood and Babar Azam have given Pakistan a fighting chance to draw or, by some miracle, win the second Test against South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town.

At the end of day three on Sunday, Pakistan were on 213 for one in their second innings, still 208 runs behind making South Africa bat again, with two days of the Test remaining.

This, after Pakistan were dismissed in their first innings on Sunday for a paltry 194 in response to South Africa’s mammoth first innings of 615, which included two hundreds and a big double hundred by Ryan Rickelton.

Babar’s 58 and Mohammad Rizwan’s 46 were by far Pakistan’s biggest contributions in their first innings, while Kagiso Rabada picked up three wickets, Kwena Maphaka and Keshav Maharaj two each, and Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder a wicket each.

Second innings

Trailing massively after their first knock, South Africa asked Pakistan to bat again in the afternoon session, but it was a very different story for the visitors, and the hosts, as captain Masood and the experienced Babar put on a brilliant 205 for the first wicket the second time around before Babar was dismissed late in the day on Sunday for a well-played 81.

Jansen was the man who made the breakthrough for the South Africans, with David Bedingham taking the catch at gully. Bedingham was also involved in plenty of the action in Pakistan’s first innings, taking four catches, the one at short leg to dismiss MIR Hamza off the bowling of Maharaj particularly good.

Before Babar’s dismissal, Masood had gone to a wonderful century, which included 14 fours. He will continue his team’s fight on Monday on 102 and with him at the crease will be Khurram Shazad on eight.

Pakistan batted for only 54.2 overs in their first innings, but have already faced 49 overs at the second time of asking.

Rickelton shines

On a flat pitch, South Africa will have their work cut out on day four on Monday, but with two days to go and still well over 200 runs ahead will still fancy their chances of winning the Test and taking the series 2-0, after winning the first Test in Centurion by two wickets last Sunday.

Earlier in the Test, Rickelton (259) became South Africa’s first double centurion in eight years and since Hashim Amla’s 201, also scored at Newlands, against England in 2016.

The opening batter’s score was also the second highest Test score recorded at Newlands, after New Zealander Stephen Fleming’s 262 (scored in 2006).

The two other Proteas players to score hundreds in the match are Temba Bavuma (106) and Kyle Verreynne (100).

The second Test against Pakistan is the Proteas’ last before they take on Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s in June.