Recent Match Report – Pakistan vs South Africa 2nd Test 2020/21

Tea Pakistan 42 for 2 (Azhar 22 *, Babar 5 *) and 272 (Faheem 78 *, Nortje 5-56) South Africa 201 (Bavuma 44 *, Hasan 5-54) by 113 runs

South Africa made an early breakthrough in the formation of Pakistan, but the hosts’ lead still exceeded 100, with each hard-won new set on remaining low ground. There is also early evidence of a reverse swing but not much of a turn and it has been left to Pakistan’s intermediate order to set South Africa as the goal of continuing on ground which should become more difficult for the stick.

Azhar Ali and Babar Azam were the drummers at the fold of the tea and both had to be vigilant in the face of a disciplined South African attack. As they did throughout the test, the bowlers controlled Pakistan’s score rate, starting the innings with 25 points, which included a wicket. Kagiso Rabada passed his first test by trapping Imran Butt lbw in front of the middle stump to end a tough streak for the new opener. Butt scored 36 runs in four innings and Pakistan’s first pair of wickets shared a highest position of 22, highlighting the issues they have topped off with.

The first point came from the 26th ball, Azhar, whose defense, especially against the pace of Anrich Nortje, held firm. Nortje was used in two short spells of three overs each, delivered the fastest ball of 149 km / h and attacked the body with fuller balls. But he has not yet added his five wickets in the first rounds.

Instead, it was Keshav Maharaj, introduced in the eighth, who further troubled the Pakistani batsmen. Maharaj called for a lbw off Azhar, which Quinton de Kock examined, but DRS showed the impact was outside the line of the stump. Two overs later, Maharaj grabbed Abid Ali behind the sweep and it looks like South Africa’s left arm spinner will work from one end through the best part of the evening session, allowing the snappers to turn from the back. ‘other side.

Maharaj has already taken more wickets than main Pakistani threat Yasir Shah, who lost his wicket in the opening rounds in South Africa, where Hasan Ali won the second five of his Test career. Hasan made impressive use of the reverse swing and was instrumental in South Africa dropping his last five wickets by 37 points, to finish in 201, 71 points behind Pakistan’s 272.

Temba Bavuma was stuck on 44 steps outside and watched his colleagues collapse around him, two of them running. Shaheen Shah Afridi’s beautiful leg caught Bavuma’s best partner Wiaan Mulder behind his field for a second inning as Abid’s direct hit beat Rabada towards the end of the South African innings as Bavuma pushed on. for a simple.

It was a rare moment of urgency for Bavuma, who led South Africa’s resistance with a characteristic stoicism and a tighter defense than the rest of the roster, starting with de Kock.

The South African captain appeared in the same aggressive mood he employed on the second night and was anxious to get away from his body against Afridi, but he played the blow one too many times. De Kock scored from the inside the tenth ball he faced that day on the leg stump, adding just five points to his score on the night. He has now scored 74 points in five test innings since being appointed temporary test captain, his last effort of 29 only adding to the conversation about whether the burden of leadership affects his form at the stick.

In the sequel, Bavuma was given a Hasan delivery which tore apart, but he reviewed the decision and turned out to have been inside. It only sent Bavuma deeper into his shell as he relied on his defense and patience and scored just five points from the first 42 balls he faced, including just two kills.

The slowdown has its pitfalls, particularly the fact that it can stall an end, but Bavuma had a more proactive partner in Mulder on the other end. Although the pair didn’t do much rotation at first, Mulder found confidence against both pace and spin and his partnership with Bavuma reached 50, the game’s high in South Africa. But then Mulder took Afridi’s arm and lost. The fast bowler shot a strong throw just over the deposit for Mohammed Rizwan to pick up and catch Mulder short of his court.

Pakistan should have had another wicket at the same time when George Linde gloved a short Hasan but Rizwan was not convinced. With Mulder’s mistake fresh in his mind, Azam chose not to talk about Misbah-ul-Haq’s irritation. The coach was seen in the dressing room indicating that Pakistan would have a third wicket. Linde made the most of his takeoff and hit with freedom for a 21 run-a-ball before being played by a slower Hasan ball.

In the pre-lunch course, Shah gave Maharaj a tough chance on the third slip, then Maharaj was given to Hasan, but re-readings showed the ball was missing a leg stump. It didn’t last long after the break and was played twice after lunch by a full Hasan ball which tipped late and took out the middle stump. Bavuma scored the only other points after that, as Rabada was exhausted for a duck and Nortje was knocked down onto Hasan’s arms on the first ball he faced.