ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL
ISLAMABAD (February 5, 2021):-Pakistani right-arm pacer, Hasan Ali’s back-to-back two strikes gave a new turn to Pindi Test on Friday, as the visitors were 106 for 4 runs on the conclusion of second day game. Earlier Pakistan finished their innings on 272 and 166 runs ahead from Proteases.
On Friday, Pakistan duo meddle order batsmen captain Babar Azam and Fawad Alam resuming their innings at 145 for three at 9:45 am. Babar could not add a solitary score in the last night total 77, however, Fawad added only runs twice singles and ran-out on 45, unfortunately.
Earlier, Nortje made the first breakthrough when he had Babar Azam caught at second slip with the second ball of the day. Azam looked to cut a length ball but got a thick outside edge and Faf du Plessis took the chance at head height. This was the second time Azam had been dismissed without adding to his overnight score in Rawalpindi - he was on 143 against Bangladesh last February when the same thing had happened, and it was also the first time in three Test innings at this venue that the Pakistan captain had not scored a century.
But Azam was not the victim of the most spectacular piece of fielding in the morning session. That was the fate of Fawad Alam, who added three to his first-day 42 before being run-out at the non-striker's end by a direct hit from Temba Bavuma. Fawad nudged a Kagiso Rabada delivery to the off side, where Bavuma swooped in from point, picked up and threw in one motion and beat Alam's dive in a scene reminiscent of his run-out of David Warner in 2016. Alam could only nod his head in appreciation of Bavuma's efforts and walk off.
South Africa would have hoped to get rid of Ashraf fairly soon after that and called for a review when he missed a paddle sweep against Maharaj on 15. Replays showed the ball would have missed off stump and Ashraf survived. He saw off the second new ball, even after Mohammad Rizwan was bounced out by a fired-up Nortje and Maharaj, given the ball when it was less than five overs old, had Hasan caught at slip.
Ashraf was confident on the drive and the pull and was particularly severe on Kagiso Rabada, taking 30 runs off 32 balls he faced from him. Rabada finished wicketless and appeared down on pace and Ashraf reached his fifty off him with a gorgeous drive down the ground. With Yasir Shah at the other end, Pakistan would have had 300-plus in their sights, especially after they got through the opening spells with the second new ball. But shah offered Wiaan Mulder a catch in his follow through, which he took low down, to open up the tail.
Nauman Ali's defences appeared solid until Nortje turned up the chin music and aimed one at the grille. Nauman threw his hands up in defence and was caught at short leg. Two balls later, Shaheen Shah Afridi gloved a bumper to silly point to give Nortje his five-for and the South African openers an opportunity to bat before tea. With minutes to go, Elgar and van der Dussen were dismissed, leaving the match interestingly poised ahead of the final session.
