Pakistan Narrow the Gap After South Africa’s Handy Lead on Day two in Centurion

At the close of Day 2, Pakistan trailed South Africa by just two runs with seven second-innings wickets in hand, setting the stage for an intriguing third day of the first Test.

South Africa’s First Innings: Bosch Stars with the Bat

Resuming at 82/3, South Africa extended their innings to a competitive 301 all out, earning a 90-run lead. The standout performances came from opener Aiden Markram (89 off 144) and debutant Corbin Bosch, whose unbeaten 81 off 93 balls provided vital lower-order runs.

Key Contributions:

• Aiden Markram: Anchored the innings with his elegant 89, hitting 15 boundaries.
• Corbin Bosch: Displayed remarkable composure, forging partnerships for the ninth (41 runs) and tenth wickets (47 runs) to stretch South Africa’s lead.
• Late-order support came from Kagiso Rabada (13) and Dane Paterson (12).

Pakistan Bowlers:

• Khurram Shahzad: 3/75 – Maintained a disciplined line and length to pick crucial wickets.
• Naseem Shah: 3/92 – Bowled with pace and precision but proved expensive.
• Aamir Jamal: 2/36 – Consistent and economical with vital breakthroughs.

Chasing the deficit, Pakistan’s second innings began with promise but quickly saw setbacks. Both openers, Shan Masood (28) and Saim Ayub (28), got starts but failed to capitalize.

Key Moments:

• The opening partnership reached 70 before a quick double strike from Marco Jansen (2/17) reduced Pakistan to 74/3.
• Kamran Ghulam (4), the top scorer in the first innings, fell cheaply.

At 88/3, Pakistan’s Babar Azam (16 not out) and Saud Shakeel (8 not out) steadied the ship, ensuring no further damage before stumps.

Day 2 Summary:

South Africa will aim for early breakthroughs on Day 3 to extend their advantage, while Pakistan will rely on their experienced middle order to erase the deficit and set a challenging target.

Brief Scores:

Pakistan:

• First Innings: 211 all out (Kamran Ghulam 54, Aamir Jamal 28; Dane Paterson 5/61, Corbin Bosch 4/63)
• Second Innings: 88/3 in 22 overs (Saim Ayub 28, Shan Masood 28, Babar Azam 16 not out; Marco Jansen 2/17)

South Africa:

• First Innings: 301 all out (Aiden Markram 89, Corbin Bosch 81 not out, Temba Bavuma 31; Khurram Shahzad 3/75, Naseem Shah 3/92)

Match Situation:
Pakistan trail South Africa by 2 runs with 7 wickets in hand.