Rawalpindi, Oct 20 – Pakistan took the lead in the first day of the second Test against South Africa with a solid 259 for 5, powered by Shan Masood’s fluent 87 and Abdullah Shafique’s calm 57.
The hosts – Pakistan – opted to bat first on a slow, lifeless track that offered little help to the bowlers. The pitch delivered low bounce and no significant spin early on, making it a good day for building quick, controlled partnerships.
Masood and Shafique opened the innings confidently, sharing a 111‑run stand for the second wicket that set the tone for Pakistan. The pair kept the run rate below three runs an over, a disciplined approach that put the team in a dominant position as the pitch was expected to deteriorate later in the match.
South Africa’s bowlers, led by Keshav Maharaj, worked hard but were hampered by several dropped catches and fielding lapses. The visiting side missed four outright chances – three from Shafique (at 0, 15, 41) and one off Masood at 71 – and several edges fell short of catches. Despite this, Maharaj remained the best threat for the tourists, picking up key wickets and finding a little turn and bounce. He dismissed Masood, who top‑edged a sweep to Marco Jansen, and later trapped Babar Azam for a spectacular one‑handed catch by Tony de Zorzi at mid‑off.
Earlier in the innings, Kagiso Rabada hit Shafique’s outside edge in the first over, but Tristan Stubbs dropped it at third slip. Jansen, sharing the new ball, edged Shafique’s inside edge so the ball brushed the stumps without dislodging the bails. Spyder Harmer delivered a breakthrough by bowling Imam‑ul‑Haq, and his drift‑and‑spin spell continued to trouble the visitors.
Pakistan reached lunch at 95 for 1 and went steadily into the afternoon. Shafique made his sixth Test fifty before edging Harmer down the leg side for 57. Masood kept the scoreboard ticking with confident strokes against the spin, though he fell short of a century.
Saud Shakeel was batting on 42 at stumps, holding on with Salman Agha while Rabada struck with the second new ball in the 85th over to trap Mohammad Rizwan lbw for 19.
At the close of play, Pakistan stood at 259 for 5 after 91 overs – a dominant position grounded on the steady contributions from Masood and Shafique, despite the persistent efforts and numerous missed chances by the South African bowlers.
Brief scores
- Pakistan 259/5 (91 overs) – Shan Masood 87, Abdullah Shafique 57; Keshav Maharaj 2‑63, Simon Harmer 2‑75 vs South Africa.
Source: ianslive
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