- Scorecard is available here
Centurion, 27 December 2024: Pakistan were trailing by two runs with seven second innings wickets in hand against South Africa at the close of day two at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.
Starting their second innings with a 90-run deficit, the tourists lost both their opening batters Shan Masood (28, 47b, 4x4s) and Saim Ayub (28, 36b, 6x4s) with 70 runs on the board. Kamran Ghulam (4, 8b), the first innings top run-getter was the next batter to return back to the pavilion with 74 runs on the board.
At stumps, Pakistan were 88 for three in 22 overs with Babar Azam (16 not out, 34b, 2x4s) and Saud Shakeel (8 not out, 8b, 2x4s) returning undefeated.
Earlier, resuming their first innings at the overnight score of 82 for three in 22 overs, South Africa managed to score 301, taking a 90-run first innings lead. Opening batter Aiden Markram top-scored for the hosts with a 144-ball 89, which included 15 boundaries.
When right-hand batter Markram was dismissed, South Africa were leading by two runs, but debutant Corbin Bosch had other plans, as he knitted a 41-run partnership for the ninth wicket with Kagiso Rabada (13, 15b, 1x4) and later added 47 runs for the tenth wicket with Dane Paterson (12, 16b, 1x4, 1x6) to give South Africa a handy lead.
Bosch returned undefeated on 81 off 93 balls, hitting 15 fours.
For Pakistan, Khurram Shahzad and Naseem Shah bagged three wickets apiece, while Aamir Jamal took two wickets. Mohammad Abbas and Saim Ayub snapped a wicket each.
Scores in brief:
Pakistan 211 all out, 57.3 overs (Kamran Ghulam 54, Aamir Jamal 28, Mohammad Rizwan 27; Dane Peterson 5-61, Corbin Bosch 4-63) and 88-3, 22 overs (Saim Ayub 28, Shan Masood 28, Babar Azam 16 not out; Marco Jansen 2-17)
South Africa 301 all out, 73.4 overs (Aiden Markram 89, Corbin Bosch 81 not out, Temba Bavuma 31, David Bedingham 30; Khurram Shahzad 3-75, Naseem Shah 3-92, Aamir Jamal 2-36)
