Proteas Rally on Day 1 Despite Missed Opportunities

The second Test of the series between South Africa and Pakistan kicked off at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Monday, with the home team finishing the first day at 177 for three. Shan Masood and Saud Shakeel were at the crease during the tea break, having played significant roles in establishing Pakistan’s innings.

Key Performances and Events

• Shan Masood: Scored 77 runs, marking his 13th Test fifty.
• Saud Shakeel: Contributed 8 runs, helping stabilize the batting.
• Keshav Maharaj: Bowled effectively but was hampered by missed opportunities.
• Abdullah Shafique: Scored 57 runs in 146 balls but survived multiple chances of being dismissed.

Missed Chances by the Proteas

South Africa’s bowling attack, featuring Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, struggled to capitalize on the Pakistan batsmen’s mistakes. Despite a couple of breakthroughs in the afternoon session, the Proteas’ missed chances were glaring. Masood, for instance, escaped a stumping after edging a delivery that went past wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne.

Another moment of frustration came when Masood top-edged a sweep, but Senuran Muthusamy dropped the catch at midwicket. This pattern of missed opportunities continued until South Africa finally managed to claim two vital wickets.

Wickets Taken

• Abdullah Shafique was dismissed for 57 runs by Kyle Verreynne down the leg side.
• Babar Azam, who scored 16 off 22 balls, was caught by Tony de Zorzi at silly mid-off.

Despite their dropped chances, the Proteas managed to restrict the Pakistan scoring rate to below three runs per over, with Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj maintaining pressure on the batsmen.

Day One Summary

As the day ended, Pakistan had built a foundation for their innings with a score of 177 for three. While the Proteas will reflect on their missed opportunities, they are still very much in the contest. Both teams will look to make significant strides in the upcoming sessions of this Test match.

Pakistan’s batting lineup included notable players such as Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan, and Salman Agha, while South Africa’s squad featured a mix of experience and youth, with captain Aiden Markram leading the team.