SA chase four more wickets, but Pakistan show strong resistance

Thoughts of a quick ending to this second Test, after SA had picked up two early wickets with the second new ball had to be put on ice as Pakistan stood firm at Newlands on Monday. 

Pakistan went to tea on 398/5, still trailing SA by 23 runs with Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha each on 31.

The pair offered resistance after the Proteas, through Kagiso Rabada and Kwena Maphaka each picked up a wicket with the second new ball. Maphaka, who bowled a lively spell that started before the lunch break, was so good that Temba Bavuma stuck with him when the new ball was available. 

It was Rabada who struck first, enticing Saud Shakeel to push at a delivery outside his off stump, that he edged to Aiden Markram, who hung onto a good low catch at second slip. 

Maphaka’s big moment arrived in the next over, when he slanted a ball back into the left handed Shan, hitting him midway up his front pad. Indian umpire, Nitni Menon, who’d given a not out decision in Saud’s favour in the first session — when Maphaka was also the bowler — again kept his hands by his side, but unlike in the morning Bavuma decided to review. 

The Hawkeye was in SA’s favour on this occasion, although Shan was furious, feeling he’d got outside the line of off stump. He may have been influenced by SA’s wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne who also didn’t feel the ball was hitting the stumps, and even with the replays showing he was out, Shan still gesticulated about being outside the line as he made his way off the field and even more so in the changeroom.

It had been a courageous effort from the Pakistan captain, who faced 251 balls, hit 17 fours, in an innings of 145 — the third highest score of his career.

South Africa endured two more moments of misfortune courtesy of Sri Lankan official Kumar Dharmasena, who on two occasions refused to raise his finger when Wiaan Mulder appealed for lbw against Rizwan. On both occasions Hawkeye indicated that the ball was clipping the bails, but under the ‘umpires call’ stipulation, the decision stayed with the on-field umpire, much to the Proteas' chagrin.