Pakistan’s Shan Masood and Babar Azam fought back with a solid partnership in the second Test against South Africa after being forced to follow on. Masood remained unbeaten on 102, and Azam scored 81, bringing Pakistan to 213-1, trailing by 208 runs. South Africa previously scored 615 in the first innings, setting a daunting challenge for the visitors.
In the ongoing second Test match against South Africa at Newlands, Cape Town, Pakistan’s batsmen Shan Masood and Babar Azam demonstrated resilience by establishing a robust 205-run partnership. Considering the sizeable first-innings lead of 421 runs held by South Africa, Pakistan was compelled to follow on after their initial total of 194. The day concluded with Masood not out at 102, while Azam was dismissed for 81 by Marco Jansen, leaving Pakistan at 213-1, trailing South Africa by 208 runs.
The second Test match between South Africa and Pakistan has garnered significant attention, particularly following South Africa’s impressive first-innings score of 615 runs. Pakistan’s challenging position emerged after they could only tally 194 in their first innings, thus prompting the follow-on. This match is critical for the South African team as it serves as their last Test before they face Australia in the World Test Championship final later in the year, particularly after Australia’s recent series victory against India.
In summary, Pakistan’s opening pair delivered a commendable performance after being compelled to follow on, presenting a promising challenge to South Africa’s substantial lead. With Masood anchoring the innings at 102 not out and Azam contributing significantly with 81, Pakistan still faces the uphill task of accumulating an additional 208 runs to secure at least a draw. The outcome of this match is pivotal, given the approaching World Test Championship final for South Africa.
Original Source: www.bbc.com
