On Day 3 of the second Test match against South Africa, Pakistan Test skipper Shan Masood made history with his skill and a spectacular opening stand with his predecessor Babar Azam.
On the third day of the second Test match against South Africa, Pakistan Test skipper Shan Masood created a spectacular opening stand with his predecessor Babar Azam, which changed the record books. With Babar and Shan skillfully rekindling Pakistan’s dreams under the most catastrophic circumstances, records toppled like a house of cards on a sunny day in Cape Town. Having failed miserably to reach 615 in the first innings, South Africa made the decision to enforce a follow-on. For the second time in this World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, the Proteas became the first team to enforce the follow-on.
South Africa had previously imposed a follow-on against Bangladesh in Chattogram.
The expected verdict did not yield the desired results for South Africa. Shan and Babar beat the odds and revolutionized the art of batting on a soft Newlands pitch.
The left and right-handed combination delivered a batting masterclass, giving Pakistan something to fight for despite their defeat. They put up a 205-run opening partnership, the most by any opening duo during a follow-on.Shan finished the day undefeated with 102, becoming the first captain of Pakistan to achieve a Test century in South Africa, while Babar fell on 81.
Salim Malik was fired for 99 in Johannesburg in 1995, before Shan. Inzamam-ul-Haq, another legendary batsman from Pakistan, walked out to bat at number eight in Gqeberha in 2007 and was left hanging on 92.
After settling into Test cricket in South Africa, Babar was racking up fifties. In the second inning in Centurion, Babar struck a fifty and went on to hammer two more in consecutive innings.Babar achieved three consecutive fifties without turning any of them into a century for the first time in his career.
Kwena Maphaka, a teenage speedster, made her debut for South Africa at the youngest age of 18 years and 272 days. In the Test format, he became the youngest South African to take a wicket on Day 3.
