In Rawalpindi on Monday, South Africa pulled off a dramatic comeback that left Pakistan reeling. With a 71‑run first‑innings advantage, the South Africans sealed the final Test of the series after a lower‑order fight led by Senuran Muthusamy and Kagiso Rabada.
The day started on a high note for Pakistan. Debutant Asif Afridi smashed a five‑wicket haul, becoming the oldest player to take a five‑for on Test debut. He snagged early wickets, taking Tristan Stubbs for 76 and Simon Harmer, sending the South Africans crashing to 210 for 7.
But the tide turned quickly. Muthusamy steadied the attack with an 89‑run knock, while Rabada added a blistering 71—a maiden Test fifty off just 38 balls. Together, they forged a 98‑run partnership that saw the ninth and tenth wickets add more than fifty runs, a rare feat not seen since the 1998 Adelaide Test.
Muthusamy and Keshav Maharaj built the first partnership, boasting 71 runs before Maharaj fell. Rabada then turned up the heat, driving Noman Ali, Sajid Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi for rapid boundaries. His stroke play—featuring a sharp cut and a towering hit over long‑on—kept Pakistan’s bowling in the dock. Asif Afridi’s sixth wicket followed Rabada’s flourish, preventing the South Africans from pushing past 404.
The hosts didn’t quit. Rabada and Simon Harmer combined to strip Pakistan to 16 for 3. Harmer flung Imam‑ul‑Haq and Shan Masood away, while Rabada took two more, including Abdullah Shafique’s dismissal.
However, Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam steadied the innings, scoring 49 not out. He partnered Saud Shakeel for a 44‑run stand, before Shakeel edged Harmer to slip. Mohammad Rizwan kept the lower order afloat with 16, pushing Pakistan to 94 for 4 by stumps and keeping a sliver of hope alive.
South Africa’s 71‑run lead on the first day allowed them to take control. The reminder: the raw energy of Muthusamy, Rabada and Afridi will be a key storyline as the series continues in Rawalpindi.
Source: ianslive
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