DAY 1: Proteas strike back, but miss more chances

The Proteas enjoyed a better session, claiming two Pakistan wickets in the afternoon, but their epidemic of missed chances continued as the home team reached tea on 177 for three on day one of the second test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Monday.

At the crease at the break were Shan Masood on 77, his 13th test 50 and Saud Shakeel on 8.

Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen featured first in South Africa’s attack after lunch but the pitch didn’t offer them much assistance and it was Keshav Maharaj who threatened first. However, once again Abdullah Shafique survived. The right-hander edged a round-arm delivery but wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne’s flailing glove deflected the ball to Aiden Markram at slip who juggled but finally grassed the ball.

Maharaj was again the loser eight overs later when Shafique danced down the pitch, the ball beating his outside edge as well as the gloves of Verreynne, a clear stumping chance.

The left-arm spinner could be forgiven for feeling frustrated when yet another opportunity was missed after the drinks break, when Masood top-edged a sweep to Senuran Muthusamy at midwicket who dropped a very presentable chance as the ball looped to his right. It was a miserable moment for the left-arm spinner who has so far bowled only two overs after claiming 11 wickets in Lahore.

But then, finally, the Proteas held on to a couple of chances. The first was a strangle down the leg side off Harmer, with Verreynne ending the chancy stay of Shafique (57 in 146 balls) and then Tony de Zorzi took a fine diving catch at silly mid-off to end an entertaining cameo from Babar Azam who struck three boundaries in his 22-ball 16.

South Africa will reflect on their missed chances, with Shafique being reprieved five times, but they succeeded in slowing the Pakistan scoring rate to below three to the over with Harmer and Maharaj generally keeping the Pakistan batters on the defensive, and the visitors are still in this test match.

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