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Proteas crumble to hand Pakistan series win

cricket08 February 2021 09:47| © MWP
By:Ross Roche
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A trademark collapse from South Africa's batting department saw them crumble to a bitterly disappointing 95-run defeat against Pakistan on day five of the second test at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Monday afternoon.

The result sees Pakistan pick up their first test series win over the Proteas in 17 years, as they sealed an impressive two-nil win over the visitors.

The Proteas will, however, wonder what could have been as they were in with a huge chance of claiming a massive win shortly after lunch with the score 241 for three in pursuit of 370 to win, however as has become commonplace with this team the final seven wickets tumbled for just 33 runs as they crashed to 274 all out.

This was despite a wonderful century from Proteas opener Aiden Markram (108), however, it was the introduction of the new ball after 80 overs that sparked the host's fightback as Hasan Ali, 5-60, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, 4-49, returned to the attack to tear through the Proteas middle and lower order.

Ali will take the plaudits having picked up superb match figures of 10-116 after he claimed 5-56 in the first innings.

EXTRAVAGANT DRIVE

The Proteas had resumed their innings confidently after lunch with Markram unbeaten on 100 and Bavuma on 44, with Bavuma bringing up his 50 with a boundary off Yasir Shah in the 76th over, and then he then brought up the pair's hundred partnership with a two off the bowling of Faheem Ashraf in the 79th over.

The 82nd over saw the match turn on its head as Ali bowled a good length delivery that just nipped away from Markram who, having got his feet stuck in the crease, chased the ball only to edge it straight to Imran Butt at second slip, with Markram hitting his bat in despair on his way off.

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The very next delivery saw captain Quinton de Kock play an extravagant drive at a wide delivery and edge it straight to Butt at second slip again, with the Proteas suddenly on 241 for five.

Wiaan Mulder (20) then joined Bavuma, with them the last two recognised batsmen before getting into the tail and despite Mulder flicking Afridi for a boundary to take the Proteas past 250 in the 87th over, Bavuma then pushed at one in the corridor of uncertainty at the end of the over to edge behind to keeper Mohammad Rizwan to reduce them to 253 for seven.

The rest of the batsmen then showed little resistance as Ali picked up George Linde for four and Afridi accounted for Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada both for ducks, while Mulder was then the final wicket to fall, bowled by Shah to end the match.

DELIVERY KEEPING LOW

In the day's first session a magnificent century from Markram gave the Proteas hope of claiming an unlikely win after reaching lunch on 219 for three.

Having resumed their chase on 127 for one at the start of the day, two early wickets set back the visitors efforts to chase down the stiff target, as Rassie van der Dussen (48) fell in the first over of play and the experienced Faf du Plessis (5) followed four overs later with the visitors slipping to 135 for three.

However, Markram found a willing partner in the form of Bavuma and they set about rebuilding the Proteas innings with an unbeaten 84-run partnership that made sure that the hosts will have a nervous lunch with the visitors still well in the match.

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The day started disastrously for the Proteas as the third ball of play saw a full late inswinging delivery from Ali brush the inside edge of Van der Dussen’s bat and then crash into the stumps, ending his solid 94-run stand with Markram without adding to it.

Four overs later Du Plessis was undone by an Ali delivery that kept very low, crashing into his pads in front of the stumps and despite using a review more out of hope than anything else, he was sent on his way as replays showed the ball would have been hitting middle and leg.

Pakistan was now on top, but the calm head of Bavuma then joined Markram as they set about putting on an impressive stand.

They took the Proteas past the 150 in the 51st over and then brought up the 50 partnership when Bavuma slashed a boundary off Faheem Ashraf over the vacant slip cordon in the 65th over.

Markram then slog-swept Nauman Ali to the midwicket boundary for four to bring up the 200 in the 69th over.

It looked like Markram would have to wait until after lunch to reach three figures, however, with the final ball of the session he whipped Fawad Alam for a single between midwicket and mid-on to bring up his fifth test century and make sure he would come back out to bat after the break way more relaxed than if he hadn’t reached the mark yet.

Report Day 1
Report Day 2
Report Day 3
Report Day 4

PAKISTAN: Imran Butt, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam (capt), Fawad Alam, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Yasir Shah, Nauman Ali, Shaheen Afridi

SOUTH AFRICA: Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock (capt & wk), Temba Bavuma, Wiaan Mulder, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje

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