DAY 3: Pakistan tighten the noose as pressure mounts on fading opposition

A pair of 40s from opener Abdullah Shaffique (41) and Babar Azam (42) helped Pakistan into a commanding position at tea as they reached 150 for five with an overall lead of 259 on the third day of the first test against South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Tuesday.

Shaffique clipped, drove and cut six fours from 73 balls before a thunderous straight drive was remarkably caught by Senuran Muthusamy (2-46) while Babar scored an almost identical rate facing 72 balls with five fours before Kagiso Rabada (1-33) trapped him lbw with a reversing inswinger.

Saud Shakeel, too, made a promising start before hoisting Muthusamy to Tristan Stubbs on the deep midwicket boundary to depart for 38 from 53 balls (7x4) in the final over before the tea break.

Simon Harmer claimed two quick wickets shortly before lunch to give the tourists hope of a way back into the test match but the home side’s lead puts them almost out of sight on a threadbare pitch which is deteriorating by the hour.

Harmer (2-46) was given the new ball along with Rabada when Pakistan batted again and struck immediately when Imam-ul-Haq bizarrely charged out of his crease to play a defensive shot, was well beaten by the spin and comfortably stumped by Kyle Verreynne for a second-ball duck.

Captain Shan Masood was equally well beaten by Harmer’s quicker ball which kept low and hit him on the back leg in front of leg stump. Masood’s review revealed the ball to be just clipping leg stump, much to his disgust.

Earlier, Tony de Zorzi completed an excellent century before South Africa were dismissed for 269 to concede a first-innings deficit of 109. The left hander’s 104 came from 171 balls with 10 fours and a pair of sixes but his brave attempt to accelerate and narrow the gap between the teams led to his downfall as he holed out to long against left-arm spinner Noman Ali who claimed a well-deserved 6-112.

South Africa’s left armer, Senuran Muthusamy, who claimed 6-117 on the second day, was the first wicket to fall in the morning session with the tourists resuming on 216 for six, edging offspinner Sajid Khan to slip for 11.

Prenelan Subrayen (4) edged Noman to the same fielder in the same position and Kagiso Rabada was bowled by Sajid (3-98) leaving Harmer unbeaten on a doughty 19 from 36 balls with two fours.

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