Wickets tumble in Rawalpindi to leave second Test evenly poised

SCORECARD

Anrich Nortje was the star with the ball for the Proteas, finishing with 5/56 to secure a third five-wicket haul of his fledgling career. The 27-year-old bowled with pace and intent, and, supported by spinner Keshav Maharaj, restricted Pakistan to a first innings total of 272.

The tourists struggled in reply, but a late counter-attack from captain Quinton de Kock, with 24* off just 11 balls, brought the 100 up shortly before bad light forced a halt to proceedings.

South Africa trail by 166 runs with six wickets of their first innings remaining and three days still to play.

Pakistan started Friday’s play on 145/3 after a rain-affected opening day, but lost Babar Azam to just the second delivery of the morning with an edge through to Faf du Plessis off Nortje. It was the first time Azam failed to reach triple figures in three innings at Rawalpindi, coming after scores of 143 against Bangladesh and 102* against Sri Lanka.

Azam’s overnight partner, Fawad Alam, added just three to his overnight score before falling victim to a sensational piece of fielding by Temba Bavuma. The diminutive fielder swept in from point, picking up and throwing in one fluid motion to dismantle the stumps at the bowler’s end with Alam short of his ground.

Mohammad Rizwan and Faheem Ashraf dug in for the best part of 20 overs as the Pakistan middle order looked to rebuild, but Nortje again got the breakthrough. The South African quick found the top edge of Rizwan’s bat with a steeping bouncer, and he came back to clean up the tail with two more ripsnorters – dismissing both Nauman Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi in his 25th over.

South Africa’s reply suffered a setback just before tea when two wickets in two balls from Hasan Ali left the Proteas at 26/2.

Dean Elgar was lured into a shot by a ball on a probing length and feathered a catch through to the 'keeper. And Rassie van der Dussen was skittled first ball by a vicious inswinger that kept slightly low off the pitch.

The wickets continued to fall as du Plessis chased at a short one to edge behind for a sprightly, but all-too-brief 17, before opener Aiden Markram spooned a simple catch to mid-wicket off Nauman Ali when well set on 32.

Bavuma was left not out at the close after playing nicely, but was given a double-reprieve in the 18th over. First wicketkeeper Rizwan failed to snaffle an edge behind off the first ball of the over, and then it was Rizwan again who decided against an LBW review off the final delivery - replays showed that the ball was hitting leg stump and the not out decision would have been overturned.

The momentum appeared to be in Pakistan’s favour heading into the third day, but a late flurry of runs from de Kock - who scored five boundaries off his first eight deliveries - will give the hosts cause for concern when they return on Saturday morning.