Pakistan 313 for 5 (Imam 93, Masood 76, Rizwan 62*, Agha 52*, Muthusamy 2-101) vs. South Africa
On a Lahore surface that showed signs of deterioration as early as the third session of the opening day, first-innings runs are considered crucial, and South Africa will be concerned by how many they conceded. Though they took three wickets for no run either side of the tea interval as Pakistan went from 199 for 2 to 199 for 5, South Africa could neither contain Pakistan for any length of time nor close things out. They also put down four catches which changed the complexion of the day.
After choosing to bat, Pakistan were rocked immediately when Kagiso Rabada’s third delivery beat Abdullah Shafique’s inside edge and hit him on the back pad. Stand-in captain Aiden Markram reviewed successfully to hand the visitors their first wicket. South Africa had barely finished celebrating when Masood hit Rabada for back-to-back boundaries. Wiaan Mulder bowled just two overs before South Africa turned to spin, and Pakistan’s plan was clear. Masood hit Subrayen over his head for six to assert himself immediately.
Imam had latched on to anything too full or wide early on, used his wrists well, and played the ball late to become the dominant partner in his stand with Masood. He reached fifty off 65 balls and blunted the spin threat, especially as Harmer found turn and bounce, while also surviving a pre-lunch lbw appeal in Rabada’s second spell. Markram had reviewed again, but the impact was outside the line. Pakistan went to the break on 107 for 1.
Masood’s half-century came after lunch when he drove Harmer through mid-on, and though he was untroubled to that point, South Africa started to create chances. Masood was on 61 when Subrayen drew him forward and he inside-edged the ball on to his pad. It popped up for Tony de Zorzi at short leg, who went one-handed to his left and could not hold on. In Subrayen’s next over, Imam charged down the track and hit him aerially to mid-off, where Mulder moved to his left first and then had to readjust to his right but spilled the chance.
Subrayen was eventually rewarded, four overs later, when he beat Masood’s inside edge with a ball that didn’t turn and had him out lbw.
But South Africa were able to pull him back and then strike twice to end the middle session on a high. Imam inside-edged Muthusamy to de Zorzi at short leg. Saud Shakeel gave South Africa a bonus wicket when he popped a leading edge back to the bowler and leave Muthusamy on a hat-trick at the break. He didn’t complete it, but South Africa picked up a third wicket 14 balls after tea, when Harmer pinned Babar on the pad, Markram reviewed, and ball-tracking showed it would have gone to hit leg stump.
Harmer had a strong appeal for lbw against Rizwan later in the over as the ball ripped and spun in sharply, but the impact could have been outside the line. Rizwan counterattacked well, hit Muthusamy for six over long-on, and Harmer for fours through midwicket and cover. Agha seemed happy to hold his end, and was on 8 off 13 balls when he reverse-swept Harmer and the ball ended up in Verreynne’s hands, deflected in off his boots. The umpires checked for a catch, but one angle showed it had bounced off the bat and on to the turf before it made contact with Verreynne.
The chances kept coming as Rizwan, on 26, edged Muthusamy to Markram at slip. But Markram wasn’t sure whether he had taken a clean catch, and replays showed the ball died on him and bounced in front. Then, Rizwan was on 28 when he was given out lbw to Subrayen but a review showed it was missing leg stump.
Rizwan kept accumulating as South Africa wound down to the second new ball, and Markram gave himself an over before it arrived. He thought he had Rizwan, on 47, caught at leg slip but the ball had come off the batter’s arm.
Rizwan’s fifty came off the first delivery with the second new ball, which Rabada shared with Muthusamy. The new ball almost brought a breakthrough when Agha edged Muthusamy, but Verreynne initially going for the chance may have distracted Markarm at slip, who put down a simple chance.
South Africa’s day got longer when Rizwan swept Harmer powerfully to short leg, but the ball was hit so hard that it did some damage to de Zorzi’s hand as he tried to hold onto the catch. Agha’s fifty came just after that, and he took Pakistan to the close with plenty to be pleased about.
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s correspondent for South Africa and women’s cricket
