Pakistan 194 (Babar 58, Rabada 3-55, Maharaj 2-14) and 80 for 0 (f/o) (Masood 37*, Babar 34*) trail South Africa 615 by 341 runs
Babar brought up Pakistan’s hundred with an edge through the slips, and his fifty off the next ball, when he chopped Rabada over point. He looked well set when South Africa brought on the change bowlers. Maphaka came on from Rabada’s end and looked much less nervous than he did in his first three overs on day two, and started with an over of hard-length deliveries.
Maphaka struck in his second over, post the drinks break, when he angled one down leg, Babar followed it in an attempt to flick it off his hips, and edged to Kyle Verreynne. A joyous Maphaka took off in Imran Tahir-style, with his team-mates following in celebration. It was the third time since 2022 that Babar was strangled down leg, the joint-most by a Pakistan batter since then.
The Babar-Rizwan partnership was broken on 98, with responsibility falling to Rizwan to keep chipping away. He leaned into a cover drive, before Salman steered Maphaka off his hips and drove him through point, and it looked like Pakistan were settling again. Against the run of play, however, Rizwan advanced at Wiaan Mulder and tried to smash him down the ground, but under-edged on to his stumps.
Salman brought up the 150 with a straight drive off Maphaka, who was replaced by Jansen for a couple of overs before lunch. But the damage was done at the other end, where Keshav Maharaj drew Salman forward with one that drifted and turned past the outside edge. Verreynne reacted quickly to break the stumps, and South Africa took a huge advantage into lunch.
Aamer Jamal and Khurram Shahzad resisted for five overs post lunch before Jamal was bounced out by Rabada. He was hurried into a swivel pull and skied the ball in the direction of first slip, where David Bedingham collected a third catch. Shahzad and Mir Hamza did not back down and took Rabada’s next over for 15 runs, which ended up taking him out of the attack.
At the other end, Maharaj benefitted from Bedingham’s reflexes at short leg when he got down to take a low catch off Hamza, while Maphaka ended the innings when Shahzad drove a wide ball to Tristan Stubbs at point.
This was the second time in the current World Test Championship cycle that South Africa have been in a position to enforce the follow-on, and that they promptly did. Rabada and Jansen shared the new ball again, and both erred on the side of too full in their opening spells. They did create one chance: Rabada found Masood’s edge, with the Pakistan captain on 18, but the ball flew through the vacant third-slip region, leaving Rabada on his haunches.
Masood and Babar were unthreatened through the rest of the session and scored quickly, with the run rate approaching five an over towards the end of the session. All five of South Africa’s frontline bowlers were used in a 16-over period, and Bavuma even turned to Aiden Markram as tea approached. Maharaj is expected to play a big role as the surface may begin to deteriorate heading into the fourth day.
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s correspondent for South Africa and women’s cricket
