South Africa vs Pakistan Live Score, 2nd Test Day 1 (South Africa National Cricket Team vs Pakistan National Cricket Team): Welcome to the live blog of Day 1’s play of the 2nd South Africa-Pakistan Test match, which is taking place at Newlands in Cape Town.
South African captain Temba Bavuma has won the toss and opted to bat first in the New Year Test against Pakistan at Newlands in Cape Town.
South Africa hammered Pakistan by 2 wickets in the series opener played at SuperSport Park in Centurion last month to take a 1-0 lead in the ongoing series, and the hosts will be desperate to maintain the winning run and whitewash the Shan Masood-led side.
Playing XIs
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (C), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (WK), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Kwena Maphaka
Pakistan: Shan Masood (C), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Salman Agha, Aamer Jamal, Mir Hamza, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas
LIVE FEED
11.5 – Hard length, on middle, Ryan Rickelton keeps it out.
11.4 – FOUR! Not very convincing but that boundary brings the 50-run stand between this new opening pair! Angling into the left-hander on a length, around middle and leg, Ryan Rickelton looks to tuck it across but gets a thick outside edge that races through the gully region for another boundary.
11.3 – FOUR! Gets the gap this time. He tried once in Khurram’s previous over but it got stopped. A back of a length, outside off, Rickelton stays back, opens the face of his bat and guides it behind point. The ball races away. Moves to 32 (38).
11.2 – Fuller and straighter, Ryan Rickelton pushes it towards mid on.
11.1 – On a good length, just around off, watchfully defended.
25. That’s the number of overs in succession that Mohammad Abbas has bowled, adding to his 19 in the second innings of that opening Test. Remember a Test match where Sajid Khan seemed to bowl for an eternity – 28 or 30 overs at a stretch, something like that – but that was in an inning alone. Think it was against England recently.
10.6 – Back of a good length, on middle and off, Aiden Markram blocks it to mid off.
Batsman_1 : Aiden Markram 16(31)
Batsman_2 : Ryan Rickelton 28(35)
Bowler : Mohammad Abbas 0/20(6)
Over : 11
Run : 3
Wicket : 0
Score : 44/0
10.5 – Edged and falls short of slip again! That’s the second time the ball hasn’t carried to the slip cordon. Maybe time for them to get in a bit closer? Mohammad Abbas hits the good length, just around that corridor of uncertainly, around off. Aiden Markram looks to block it with a straight bat but gets a thick outside edge that goes on the bounce to the fielder at second slip.
10.4 – Hits the length right, just in and around that off-stump line, Aiden Markram taps it to cover.
10.3 – A bit too straight now. Ryan Rickelton stays back and with subtle wrists, works the ball through square leg. Khurram Shahzad tracks the ball to his right from fine leg and stops it with his foot. Very, very risky. Someone please show him the Glenn McGrath video ahead of the Edgbaston Ashes Test in 2005. As they say, the rest is history. Three runs taken.
No Naseem? For those wondering as to why has Naseem Shah been rested, the word from the Pakistan camp is that he has reported some stiffness in his back. One understands that this is an important game for Pakistan – maybe not from a WTC point of view, but from a series-levelling point of view. However, one cannot also forget that the Asian giants are playing plenty of cricket in the coming days. They are scheduled to play a 2-match Test series against West Indies at home, followed by a tri-nation one-day series, believed to be a precursor to the Champions Trophy. Then, they head off to New Zealand while the ones who don’t get selected will play the PSL at home. So there is just too much cricket and a massive amount of workload.
10.2 – A shorter ball, punched to the off side.
10.1 – On a good length, just around off, watchfully defended.
No Naseem? For those wondering as to why has Naseem Shah been rested, the word from the Pakistan camp is that he has reported some stiffness in his back. One understands that this is an important game for Pakistan – maybe not from a WTC point of view, but from a series-levelling point of view. However, one cannot also forget that the Asian giants are playing plenty of cricket in the coming days. They are scheduled to play a 2-match Test series against West Indies at home
9.6 – Similar line and length and Markram offers another good block off the back foot.
Batsman_1 : Aiden Markram 16(28)
Batsman_2 : Ryan Rickelton 25(32)
Bowler : Khurram Shahzad 0/7(2)
Over : 10
Run : 3
Wicket : 0
Score : 41/0
9.5 – Solid block! Coming into the batter, on a back of a good length, around middle, Aiden Markram shows full face of the bat and stabs it down the deck.
9.4 – Angling in, on off, on a length, Aiden Markram taps it back to the bowler. Looks very confident in the middle does Markram!
9.3 – Much straighter from Khurram, Ryan stays back and nurdles it through fine leg for a single.
9.2 – Great effort. Fractionally short outside off and a touch wide as well. Guess that is the first real loose ball of the morning.
9.1 – On a good length, just outside off, Ryan Rickelton stays back and defends.
8.6 – FOUR! Was briefly in the air, but Markram seems to have gotten it perfectly through the gap. Back of a length, outside off, Aiden Markram shifts his weight back and punches it with a slightly opened face to steer it through the gap between backward point and gully.
Batsman_1 : Aiden Markram 16(25)
Batsman_2 : Ryan Rickelton 22(29)
Bowler : Mohammad Abbas 0/17(5)
Over : 9
Run : 4
Wicket : 0
Score : 38/0
8.5 – Fuller than a good length, just outside off, Aiden Markram shuffles across a bit to cover the line and blocks it back to the bowler.
8.2 – Landed just around off, Markram comes forward and confidently pushes the ball towards cover.
8.1 – On a good length, outside off, moving away slightly, Aiden Markram feels for it but misses.
8.4 – Good length, coming into the batter, on middle and off, Aiden Markram stays rooted in the crease and punches it to mid on.
8.3 – Tighter line but Aiden is on the walk again. Blocks it back to the bowler.
It is good to see Khurram Shahzad target coming around the wicket in his first over itself. Normally, fast bowlers don’t switch sides till they have got some rhythm in their bowling. Unless of course, you are Bumrah, who gets up everyday with a set rhythm in his body. The main reason why Khurram is coming around the wicket to Rickelton is because he dismissed the southpaw from that angle in both innings of the first Test. Nearly got him for the third straight time with that angle.
It is good to see Khurram Shahzad target coming around the wicket in his first over itself. Normally, fast bowlers don’t switch sides till they have got some rhythm in their bowling. Unless of course, you are Bumrah, who gets up everyday with a set rhythm in his body.
7.6 – Edged but falls short of the fielder at second slip!
Batsman_1 : Ryan Rickelton 22(29)
Batsman_2 : Aiden Markram 12(19)
Bowler : Khurram Shahzad 0/4(1)
Over : 8
Run : 4
Wicket : 0
Score : 34/0
The physio is out in the middle now. Seems like Ayub has been hurt on his right shin. Oh dear – AYUB IS GOING OFF THE FIELD. A worried AZHAR MAHMOOD looks on from the Pakistan dressing room, their bowling coach.
7.5 – Similar line but the length is pushed further by a bit, outside off, Ryan Rickelton taps it in front of cover.
7.4 – FOUR! Nicely done! Back of a length, outside off, Ryan Rickelton hops back and waits for the ball to come to him before just pushing it past backward point for a boundary.
7.3 – On a good length, again wide outside off, shouldered arms to, by Ryan Rickelton.
