Pakistan’s Shan Masood and Babar Azam have set a new record for their country, with a partnership of 205 runs in the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town. Despite being faced with a massive first innings deficit of 421 runs, Pakistan made a strong comeback on the third day of the match. The team ended the day at 213 for one in their follow-on innings, still trailing by 208 runs.
Captain Masood led the charge with a brilliant knock of 102 not out, marking his sixth Test century. Meanwhile, Babar Azam contributed 81 runs to the partnership, showcasing his batting prowess with his third successive half-century in the series. Despite his impressive performance, Babar fell short of a century once again as he was caught in the gully off Marco Jansen towards the end of play.
This historic partnership between Masood and Babar surpassed Pakistan’s first innings total of 194, prompting South Africa to enforce the follow on. Babar, who was forced to open the batting due to an injury to Saim Ayub, also had a significant partnership of 98 runs with Mohammad Rizwan in the first innings. However, his dismissal triggered a collapse in the batting lineup.
In the second innings, Masood and Babar continued to display their class by keeping the scoreboard ticking with positive stroke play and good running between the wickets. They demonstrated great composure at the crease and rarely looked in danger of getting out. Masood’s solid left-handed batting saw him hit 14 fours on his way to reaching his century off 159 balls.
The match was not without controversy as tensions rose between the teams when South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder threw the ball at Babar after being hit firmly by a shot. This led to an exchange of words between the players and an intervention by the umpires. Despite the heated moment, Masood and Babar remained focused on their partnership, showcasing their resilience and skill against a formidable South African bowling attack.
Overall, Pakistan’s performance on the third day of the Test match highlighted their fighting spirit and determination to bounce back from a challenging position. With Masood and Babar leading the charge with their record-breaking partnership, Pakistan will look to build on this momentum in the remaining days of the match. As they continue to defy the odds and show their class on the field, Pakistan’s cricket fans can look forward to more exciting cricketing action in the series against South Africa.
