PAK vs SA: Babar Azam and Fawad Alam take over Pakistan on first day of rain affected

Rawalpindi
In addition to the half-century innings of captain Babar Azam, Pakistan scored 145 for three at stumps on the first day of the rain-affected first day of the second Test match against South Africa with an unbreakable partnership of 123 with Fawad Alam. Babar and Alam took over when the team struggled losing three wickets for 22 runs in 15 overs.

Babar was playing 77 runs till the play was stopped for the tea break, while Alam, who was in fine form, was at the crease after scoring 138 runs off 138 balls but the final session could not be played due to rain. Earlier, left arm spinner Keshav Maharaj took two wickets in 10 balls and fast bowler Enrique Nortje gave the initial blow to Pakistan by catching Abid Ali (06) at short leg.

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Babar and Alam then batted it out and made the team return in the match. Both of them took advantage of the slow pitch in the second season, with the ball ending the glare. Babar, during his 16th half-century innings, hit some brilliant drives in the off, hitting a couple of shots from the backfoot against the fast bowlers.

He completed his half-century with a flick off the ball of Vian Mulder. South Africa suffered a setback due to injury to spinner George Linde. During the first session game, while stopping Babar’s shot on his ball, his little finger got hurt in which he had to get stitches.

Earlier, Babar won the toss and decided to bat first but it seemed wrong after Pakistan fell three wickets during the 11th to 15th over. Opener Imran Batt (15) caught wicketkeeper Quinton Dickock while Azhar Ali lbw to his ball without opening the account in nine balls. Pakistan won the first match of the series by seven wickets. He did not make any changes for this match while South Africa gave Mulder a chance to replace Lungi Gidi.