Rabada leads late blitz, SA turn the tables on Pak
rawalpindi: The No. 11 batter Kagiso Rabada and Senuran Muthusamy hit career-best half-centuries as South Africa scripted one of their most memorable comebacks to dominate Pakistan on Day 3 of the second and final Test.
South Africa were all out Wednesday for 404 in their first innings — having resumed on 185-4 and being reduced to 235-8 and 306-9 — to take a 71-run lead. Pakistan’s left-arm spinner Asif Afridi claimed six wickets and became the oldest bowler in Test cricket to grab a five-wicket haul in his debut test at the age of 38.
Pakistan collapsed to 94-4 in its second innings at stumps. Off-spinner Simon Harmer took 3-26 and Rabada had Abdullah Shafique caught in the slips cordon in his incisive opening spell with the new ball.
Babar Azam, who hasn’t scored an international century in more than two years, is 49 not out and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan undefeated on 16 as the pair led Pakistan’s resistance.
South Africa earlier fought back in a match where Pakistan had won the important toss on a spinning wicket.
Afridi (6-79) had put Pakistan in sight of a meaningful first-innings lead.