Pakistan 155 by 6 (Babar 58, Rizwan 46, Rabada 2-28) trail South Africa 615 for 460 runs
Pakistan lost their middle order on the third morning as South Africa took a big step towards victory in the second Test and swept the home summer. South Africa scored 3 for 91 in the first session at Newlands, and with Saim Ayub out of the Test with a broken ankle, they effectively need three more wickets to end Pakistan’s first innings.
Pakistan resumed at 64 for 3 against South Africa’s two leading bowlers, Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen. While Rabada concentrated on a fuller length, Jansen found an extra bounce. Although both of them made things difficult for Babar and Rizwan, they could not eliminate them. Jansen hit Rizwan on the collarbone in the first 45 minutes when Rizwan tried to bowl one-armed, but recovered to hit Jansen for four and six in the same over.
Babar brought up Pakistan’s hundred with a lead through slips, and his fifty off the next ball, when he clipped Rabada over point. He looked well prepared when South Africa brought in their replacement players. Maphaka came on from the Rabada side and looked much less nervous than in his first three overs of the second day, starting with a series of hard deliveries.
Maphaka struck in his second over, after the drinks break, when he tipped one leg down, Babar followed in an attempt to remove it from his hips and approached Kyle Verreynne. A joyful Maphaka took off in Imran Tahir style, followed by his teammates in celebration. It was the third time since 2022 that Babar was strangled on the leg, the most by a Pakistan batsman since then.
The Babar-Rizwan partnership broke up in 98, and Rizwan had the responsibility to continue working. He bent down to cover, before Salman pulled Maphaka off his hips and took him through point, and it looked like Pakistan were settling down again. However, against the run of play, Rizwan advanced towards Wiaan Mulder and tried to bring him down, but did not reach his stumps.
Salman brought up 150 with a straight drive off Maphaka, who was replaced by Jansen for a couple of overs before lunch. But the damage was already done at the other end, where Keshav Maharaj drew Salman forward with one that deflected and spun beyond the outside edge. Verreynne reacted quickly to break the stumps and South Africa built a big lead into lunch.
