South Africa on top after Pakistan bowled out easily in 2nd Test
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Opener Aiden Markram made a return to form as he scored 78 to help South Africa into a strong position on the opening day of the second Test against Pakistan at Newlands on Thursday.
Markram’s contribution put South Africa on 123 for two wickets at close, 54 runs behind after bowling out Pakistan for 177 at tea.
South Africa, who won the first of the three-Test series by six wickets in Pretoria last week, will be confident of building a substantial first-innings lead after their four-man seam attack ripped through the Pakistan batting line-up.
The 24-year-old Markram, who struggled on tour in Sri Lanka in July and in the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan, was bowled on the last ball of the day by Shan Masood.
Hashim Amla, who is 24 not out, will resume on Friday with captain Faf du Plessis, who went out for a pair in the first Test.
“We have to start well again and build those partnerships,” said veteran bowler Dale Steyn after the close.
The solid home batting performance contrasted with Pakistan’s opening innings as they were flayed with a constant barrage of pace.
“South Africa were pretty unrelenting with all their quicks (pace bowlers),” Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur said.
“We have no option but to come in tomorrow and first look to control the run rate, hopefully building pressure and get wickets.”
Duanne Olivier added to his 11 wickets in the first Test with four more as Du Plessis’ decision to put Pakistan into bat, and go with a seam-only attack on a quick wicket, was vindicated.
Pakistan were teetering at 75-5 at lunch and lost five more wickets before tea despite 56 from captain Sarfraz Ahmed, who went out to an injudicious uppercut shot just when a fightback looked on the cards.
Masood made 44 with Olivier’s figures of 4-48 bookended by Steyn, who took the first wicket of the day and the last two of the Pakistan innings for 3-48.
SCOREBOARD
Pakistan 1st innings Imam ul-Haq lbw Vernon Philander 8 Fakhar Zaman c Temba Bavuma b Dale Steyn 1 Shan Masood c Quinton de Kock b Kagiso Rabada 44 Azhar Ali c Hashim Amla b Duanne Olivier 2 Asad Shafiq c Dean Elgar b Kagiso Rabada 20 Babar Azam c Faf du Plessis b Duanne Olivier 2 Sarfraz Ahmed c Quinton de Kock b Duanne Olivier 56 Mohammad Amir Not Out 22 Yasir Shah c Faf du Plessis b Duanne Olivier 5 Mohammad Abbas c Quinton de Kock b Dale Steyn 0 Shaheen Afridi c Quinton de Kock b Dale Steyn 3 Extras 8b 2lb 1nb 0pen 3w 14 Total (51.1 overs) 177 all out Fall of Wickets : 1-9 Zaman, 2-13 ul-Haq, 3-19 Ali, 4-51 Shafiq, 5-54 Azam, 6-114 Khan, 7-156 Ahmed, 8-162 Shah, 9-163 Abbas, 10-177 Afridi Bowling Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex Dale Steyn 15.1 4 48 3 3.16 1w Vernon Philander 11 3 36 1 3.27 Kagiso Rabada 10 2 35 2 3.50 1nb Duanne Olivier 15 3 48 4 3.20 2w ..................................................... South Africa 1st innings Aiden Markram b Shan Masood 78 Dean Elgar c Sarfraz Ahmed b Mohammad Amir 20 Hashim Amla Not Out 24 Extras 0b 1lb 0nb 0pen 0w 1 Total (30.0 overs) 123-2 Fall of Wickets : 1-56 Elgar, 2-123 Markram To Bat : de Bruyn, du Plessis, Bavuma, de Kock, Philander, Steyn, Rabada, Olivier Bowling Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex Mohammad Amir 8 2 25 1 3.12 Mohammad Abbas 9 0 45 0 5.00 Shaheen Afridi 9 1 34 0 3.78 Yasir Shah 3 0 14 0 4.67 Shan Masood 1 0 4 1 4.00 ............................. Umpire Bruce Oxenford Umpire Joel Wilson Video Sundaram Ravi Match Referee David Boon