Catches go down as Pakistan make strong start

Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood featured in an unbroken half-century partnership to take Pakistan to 95 for one wicket in 30 overs at lunch on the first day of the second test against South Africa at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Monday.

Skipper Masood had earlier struck the first blow when he won the toss for the second time in the series and chosen to bat first on a dry, abrasive surface that is expected to deteriorate as the game continues.

South Africa could claim a little bad luck but also some responsibility for Pakistan’s strong start. Tristan Stubbs dropped Shafique off the third ball of the match, the opener edging Kagiso Rabada low but straight to third slip where the fielder dropped a regulation catch.

Shafique doubled up on his luck in the sixth over, delivered by Marco Jansen – who replaced Wiaan Mulder – the ball just nicking the outside of the right-hander’s off-stump without disturbing the bails. The opener’s third bit of good fortune occurred when he drove Keshav Maharaj – in for Prenelan Subrayen – uppishly to the spinner’s left, the ball brushing his hands as he dived.

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Pakistan's batting unit are going steady at the crease 🇵🇰🇿🇦

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South Africa’s high point of the session came when offspinner Simon Harmer, in his opening over, bowled the perfect delivery to Imam-ul-Haq, the ball pitching on the left-hander’s leg stump and clipping the off. That was, however, one of the few deliveries to deviate from the straight on a pitch that – initially at least – looked better for batting than the strip at Lahore last week.

Skipper Masood, who came in with the score on 35 in the 13th over, took 15 balls to get off the mark but then showed good aggression, twice driving Harmer for sixes over long on and then doing the same to left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy.

There was one further fright for Pakistan in the 24th over when Shafique was given out leg before to Maharaj, but replays showed that the ball had hit his bat, not his pad, so the umpire's decision was overturned.

Shafique battled through after his scratchy start, reaching 37 in 82 balls at the break while Masood was more positive, striking a four and three sixes in his 38 off 63 balls. The pair had added 60 off 105 balls at lunch.

PAKISTAN: Shan Masood (captain), Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Asif Afridi

SOUTH AFRICA: Aiden Markram (captain), Ryan Rickelton, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, Senuran Muthusamy, Kagiso Rabada