South Africa were comfortably ahead at the stumps as the third day ended up being the moving day of the ongoing second Test in Rawalpindi as the tail wagged and how for the visitors, adding 169 runs for the final two wickets. Pakistan need a humongous batting effort to save this Test match.
These are the days why Day 3 is labelled as the moving day of the Test match as the pendulum literally shifted towards South Africa in the ongoing second Test in Rawalpindi against Pakistan. The visitors recovered from a precarious position of 235/5, still being 98 runs behind, to then take a lead and dictate terms for the rest of the day as Pakistan now find themselves in a tricky situation, requiring two of their best batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to put up the fight and take the hosts to a safe lead.
South Africa began their day on 185/4, trailing by 148 runs and needed the batters in the middle Kyle Verreynne and Tristan Stubbs to get through at least the first hour. However, it wasn’t the case as the Proteas lost four wickets for 50 runs, including the two set batters and were staring at yet another poor first-innings score. Then suddenly something shifted. Senuran Muthusamy, who was fighting for a single here or a couple there or a rare boundary before lunch, was leading South Africa’s charge. Keshav Maharaj started smashing.
Pakistan started to feel the heat. Muthusamy brought up his fifty and South Africa crossed the 300 mark. Noman Ali, who had picked just one wicket, broke the threatening-looking partnership, following Asif Afridi’s star turnout. What followed was some slick counter-attack from Kagiso Rabada, who had been given the freedom due to Muthusamy’s rearguard action and Pakistan felt deflated.
Rabada was presenting the full face of his bat to push Shaheen Afridi for easy sixes and taking on each and every spinner as South Africa got into the lead. The tall pacer completed his maiden Test fifty and ended up breaking the record of highest individual score for South Africa at No 11.The lead crossed 50, 60, 70 and finally it came to an end, but had Rabada single-handedly changed the game? He did to an extent.
Pakistan were under pressure and it bled into their batting innings as Simon Harmer was all over the hosts like a rash. Rabada, who had his tails up, also accounted for Abdullah Shafique while Harmer got all the three lefties as Pakistan had lost four wickets even before knocking off the trail.
The duo of Babar and Rizwan did offer some resistance and got through the day, but if Pakistan have to think about winning the Test, they will need to have at least 200 runs on the board for South Africa to chase, otherwise, this could get over very quickly on Thursday.