Pakistan slips to 155-6, still trails South Africa by 460 runs in 2nd test
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — South Africa’s youngest test cricketer Kwena Maphaka got the key wicket of Babar Azam as Pakistan slipped to 155-6 on the third day of the second and final test on Sunday.
The 18-year-old Maphaka celebrated his maiden test wicket in his debut test when the left-arm fast bowler had Babar caught down the leg side and left the visitors still trailing by 460 runs at lunch.
Pakistan is effectively seven down because Saim Ayub has been ruled out of competitive cricket due to a fractured right ankle for at least six weeks after the opening batter sustained the injury on the first day.
Aamer Jamal was unbeaten on five with tailender Khurram Shahzad yet to score at the interval as Pakistan still needed 261 runs to avoid the follow-on.
Babar and Mohammad Rizwan (46) had thwarted the pace of Kagiso Rabada (2-28) and Marco Jansen (1-36) in the first hour after Pakistan resumed on a precarious 64-3.
Pakistan’s premier batters extended their fourth-wicket stand to 98 despite Rabada and Jansen beating Rizwan’s outside edge.
Babar completed his second successive half century of the series with back-to-back boundaries against Rabada with the first one flying above the slips cordon before he fell for 58 off 127 balls with seven boundaries.
South Africa’s David Bedingham, left, and Kyle Verreynne, center, congratulate Kwena Maphaka, right, on his debut test wicket during the third day of the second Test match between South Africa and Pakistan in Cape Town, South Africa, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. Credit: AP/Halden Krog
Once Maphaka got the crucial breakthrough, the tourists lost two more wickets in quick succession.
Rizwan attempted a poor shot against Wiaan Mulder and under-edged the left-arm fast bowler back onto his stumps. Keshav Maharaj further punished Pakistan at the stroke of the lunch interval when he deceived Salman Ali Agha (19) off a flighted delivery and had the batter stumped.
South Africa had posted a mammoth 615 in its first innings with Ryan Rickelton scoring a career-best 259 while captain Temba Bavuma (106) and Kyle Verreynne (100) also scored centuries.
South Africa sealed its place in June’s World Test Championship final against Australia after narrowly beating Pakistan by two wickets in the first test at Centurion.
South Africa’s Kwena Maphaka, left, bowls the ball while Pakistan’s Babar Azam looks on during the third day of the second Test match between South Africa and Pakistan in Cape Town, South Africa, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. Credit: AP/Halden Krog
Australia booked its place in the WTC final at Lord’s against South Africa after it clinched a six-wicket victory against India earlier on Sunday in the fifth and final test at Sydney. Australia also regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with the 3-1 series win against India for the first time in 10 years.
Source link
