Pakistan showed immense resilience on Day 4 of the second Test at Newlands, narrowing South Africa’s lead to 109 runs as they reached 312/3 by Lunch. Anchored by Shan Masood’s determined innings nearing 150, the visitors added 99 runs in the first session, though they lost two wickets while scoring at a steady rate of just above 3.5 runs per over.
Pakistan’s Resilience: Shahzad Shines Early Before Jansen Strikes Back
The day began with nightwatchman Khurram Shahzad, who had fulfilled his role admirably by safely navigating the tricky final moments of Day 3. Shahzad started the morning in a confident fashion, striking a couple of crisp boundaries to put early pressure on South Africa’s bowlers. Masood, on the other hand, had a cautious start but gradually found his rhythm. His signature pull shot, which had been a key feature of his innings, continued to yield runs.
However, South Africa struck early as Marco Jansen dismissed Shahzad. The tall pacer extracted extra bounce, forcing Shahzad into a tentative push that found its way to the point fielder. Jansen nearly had another wicket in the same over, but David Bedingham dropped Kamran Ghulam at first slip, allowing the batter to open his account with a boundary. Adding to Jansen’s frustration, Masood survived a close LBW shout, with replays showing the ball was heading down the leg side.
Rabada’s Class on Display
The highlight of the session came when South Africa’s spearhead, Kagiso Rabada, was introduced into the attack. Rabada produced a brilliant spell, troubling Ghulam with deliveries that shaped away before executing a perfect set-up. After beating Ghulam’s outside edge several times, Rabada bowled a fuller delivery that nipped back sharply, shattering Ghulam’s stumps. This dismissal marked Rabada’s 50th Test wicket at Newlands, a fitting milestone for one of the game’s premier fast bowlers.
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Despite Rabada’s brilliance, the partnership between Masood and Saud Shakeel steadied Pakistan’s innings. With two left-handers at the crease, South Africa turned to part-time bowler Aiden Markram, but his full-length deliveries failed to trouble the batters. Pakistan capitalized, crossing the 300-run mark to bring a glimmer of hope to their dressing room.
A Missed Opportunity for Maphaka
Debutant Kwena Maphaka bowled a promising spell late in the session and nearly got the breakthrough South Africa desperately needed. He trapped Shakeel on the pads with a delivery that appeared to be heading down leg. The hosts chose not to review the on-field decision, only for ball-tracking to reveal that the ball would have struck leg stump. It was a costly missed opportunity that could have swung the momentum back in South Africa’s favor before Lunch.
The Road Ahead Shan Masood
Shan Masood remained the cornerstone of Pakistan’s fightback, showcasing patience, skill, and determination. His innings, studded with elegant strokes and gritty defense, provided a solid foundation for Pakistan’s hopes of avoiding defeat. With the deficit reduced to just 109 runs, the visitors will look to build on this momentum in the afternoon session and set South Africa a challenging fourth-innings target.
Brief Scores
South Africa: 615 (Ryan Rickelton 259, Temba Bavuma 106, Kyle Verreynne 100; Mohammad Abbas 3-94, Salman Ali Agha 3-148)
Pakistan: 194 (Babar Azam 58, Mohammad Rizwan 46; Kagiso Rabada 3-55, Keshav Maharaj 2-14) & 312/3 (Shan Masood 137*, Babar Azam 81; Marco Jansen 2-74)
As the game progresses, the battle between Pakistan’s grit and South Africa’s precision promises to deliver more riveting moments.
