Pakistan hold slight edge over Proteas

Pakistan held the edge over the Proteas at stumps on day two of the second test at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Friday afternoon, with the visitors closing on 106 for four, still trailing the hosts first innings by 166 runs after bowling them out for 272 after lunch.

The Proteas were then in trouble after being reduced to 81 for four during the final session, however captain Quinton de Kock then arrived at the crease and played a counter-attacking innings, cracking five boundaries on his way to an unbeaten 24 off 11 balls to stabilise things and make sure his side reached the close without further trouble.

De Kock will start day three alongside Temba Bavuma (15*) and they will hope to add to their 25-run partnership and attempt to take the Proteas past Pakistan’s first innings score.

The Proteas had resumed after tea on 26 for two, after the last two balls before the tea break saw pace bowler Hasan Ali remove opener Dean Elgar (15) caught behind by keeper Mohammad Rizwan and then bowl Rassie van der Dussen for a first-ball duck.

Aiden Markram and Faf du Plessis (17) then shared in a 29-run stand before Du Plessis chased at a wide delivery from Faheem Ashraf and edged behind to Rizwan to depart.

Markram was then joined by Bavuma and they added 26 runs to the score before Markram, who had looked solid in compiling 32 off 60 deliveries (5x4) got in a bind trying to flick Nauman Ali to the leg side, only to find a leading edge and be caught by Shaheen Shah Afridi at midwicket, bringing De Kock to the crease.

SUPERB HAUL

Ashraf said the first innings total was crucial.

"It's important to score as much runs as possible in the first innings and that's why I hung in," said Ashraf. "The pitch is good for batting but if bowlers try hard they get wickets as well."

Earlier in the afternoon during the second session, Anrich Nortje claimed the final two wickets to seal a superb five-wicket haul to bowl Pakistan all out, leaving Ashraf stranded on 78.

It was fantastic fast bowling at the final two tail-enders that wrapped up the innings as Nortje bowled two short deliveries straight into the ribs of Nauman Ali (8) and Afridi (0) with both fending the balls to Markram at short leg and silly point respectively to end the innings.

This gave Nortje impressive figures of 5-56, while he was backed up really well by Keshav Maharaj who picked up 3-90.

Pakistan had started the post-lunch session on 229 for seven, with Ashraf on 54 and Yasir Shah who had yet to score, and took the score past 250 before Shah (8) popped a sharp return catch to bowler Wiaan Mulder to reduce them to 251 for eight, leaving Nortje to then clean up the rest.

In the morning session, the visitors picked up four important wickets, thanks largely to some superb pace bowling from Nortje.

After day one was cut short due to rain with the entire final session of play washed out, the hosts resumed their first innings on 145 for three with Babar Azam (77) and Fawad Alam (45) looking to add to their impressive 123-run partnership.

ONE FLUID MOVEMENT

However Nortje struck with the second delivery of the day, a full ball outside off which Azam flashed at with the ball flying off the edge to second slip where Faf du Plessis took the catch at head height.

Alam was now the senior man and would have wanted to stick around, however, the introduction of Kagiso Rabada into the attack five overs later saw Alam try to rotate the strike off his fourth ball, knocking it into the offside and setting off for a quick single, only for Temba Bavuma to swoop in from point, pick up the ball and throw down the stumps in one fluid movement to send the batsman on his way.

At that stage, Pakistan had lost two wickets for four runs and were in a spot of bother on 149 for five, with new men Rizwan and Ashraf looking to rebuild the innings.

They shared in a 41-run stand, however, Rizwan never looked comfortable in scoring 18 off 68 balls and the introduction of the new ball brought Nortje back into the attack and he promptly bounced out Rizwan, as he tried to pull a short delivery only to top-edge it to Rabada at fine leg, with the score 190 for six.

Hasan Ali (8) was then undone by the spin of Maharaj as he found some grip and turn to take the outside edge to Elgar at first slip, leaving them on 221 for seven just before lunch.

In the next over Ashraf went to his 50 in style, driving the ball in the air past Rabada for four to reach the mark and he then helped guide Pakistan to the break without further trouble.

Nortje said he used the bounce with the harder ball.

"I really enjoyed today," said Nortje. "Getting wickets and performance in the sub-continent means a lot. Hopefully I will grow as a fast bowler."

Report Day 1

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