DAY 2: De Zorzi stands tall amid collapse to keep Proteas hopes alive

Senuran Muthusamy claimed career-best figures of 6-117 to bowl Pakistan out for 378 on the stroke of lunch, having resumed on 313-5 on the second day of the first test against South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

South Africa will resume on the third morning with Tony de Zorzi in the midst – he will hope – of an excellent innings currently worth 81* from 140 balls (9x4, 1x6) in the company of Muthusamy the batter on six not out. The deficit is currently 162 runs on a rapidly deteriorating pitch. The tourists are currently coming second in the test match, by a distance.

Muthusamy claimed two wickets in two balls for the second time in the innings and three in an over to reduce the hosts from 362-5 to 362-8 having also lost three wickets on the same total on day one when they slipped from 199-2 to 199-5.

Rizwan counter-attacked in fine style reaching 75 from 140 balls (2x4, 2x6) before Muthusamy spun one fiercely to find the right hander’s edge with ‘keeper Kyle Verreynne claiming an excellent catch.

Left-hander Noman was clean bowled two balls later and Sajid Khan could only edge the next delivery into the hands of Markram at slip. Muthusamy wasn’t finished however with fast bowler Shaheen Afridi’s wild swipe gifting him a sixth well-deserved wicket.

Salman Agha, dropped on 36 by Markram on day one, resumed on 52 and batted faultlessly to reach 93 from 145 balls with five fours and three sixes before attempting a fourth six against offspinner Prenelan Subrayen (2-78) and holing out to long on where Muthusamy, appropriately, held the catch.

South Africa, too, were well placed at 174-2 after a positive third wicket partnership of 94 between Ryan Rickelton and de Zorzi but wickets fall in clusters on dry pitches offering lavish turn and the tourists lost 4-26 in 10 overs to slip to 200-6.

Rickelton had converted both of his previous two test 50s into centuries but he edged part-time offspinner Salman low to Babar Azam at slip to depart for 71 from 137 balls with nine fours and two slog-swept sixes against left-arm spinner Noman.

Tristan Stubbs (8) never settled before edging Noman to ‘keeper Rizwan, and Dewald Brevis clipped his first delivery straight to short wicket for the tamest of dismissals. Kyle Verreynne (2) missed a sweep against Noman and then reviewed the lbw which was crashing into the middle of middle stump.

De Zorzi enjoyed some early fortune with two edges off seamer Hasan Ali flying between slip and gully – he was also given out lbw to offspinner Sajid Khan for 23 but escaped on review with the ball pitching fractionally outside leg stump. But he also played some delightful shots including a bold slog-sweep for six, against the spin, off Sajid.

Earlier Aiden Markram (20) and Wiaan Mulder (17) both edged the excellent Noman to Rizwan who handled the uneven bounce superbly behind the stumps.

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

SOUTH AFRICA: Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Aiden Markram (captain), Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Senuran Muthusamy, Prenelan Subrayen, Kagiso Rabada, Simon Harmer