File picture: Mohammad Rizwan’s first test put Pakistan in the driver’s seat. – Stu Forster / Getty Images
Mohammad Rizwan scored a first test century when Pakistan set South Africa a daunting target of 370 to win the second and final Test at Rawalpindi. In response, the tourist closed day four at 127 for a mesmerizing finale.
Rizwan was unbeaten at 115 and fought brilliantly on the tail to add 222 for the final five wickets when the home team was in their second Knocked out for 298 innings and benefited from several discarded catches from the visitor.
Aiden Markram (59 not eliminated) and Rassie van der Dussen (48 not eliminated) gave South Africa hope after adding 94 for the second wicket and showed the patience and effort it takes on the last day to score an unlikely win.
South Africa haven’t scored more than 300 points in the fourth innings to win a Test since strikingly against Australia in Perth in 2008 414 against four gave while the highest successful chase in Pakistan 315 against nine by the home team against Australia in Australia was in 1994.
The only wic ket who fell was opener Dean Elgar, 17, approaching wicketkeeper Rizwan who was chasing a wide shipment from seaman Shaheen Afridi.
But the field is still good for hitting and doesn’t have any for the spinners amazing turn shown, so that South Africa sniffs with a whiff on the fifth day.
It would have been much less hunted if they hadn’t dropped several catches, even off Rizwan when he was four years old.
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Instead, the latter was the anchor for the second innings in Pakistan when it resumed on day four at 129 for six. Hasan Ali (5) lost lbw early to Keshav Maharaj (3-118) before Rizwan tied for the ninth wicket with Yasir Shah (23) 53 and Nauman Ali (45) 97.
The innings were over when left-wing spinner George Linde (5-64) bowled Shaheen (4) for his first Test five-wicket move. A remarkable effort that terribly injured the little finger on his cone hand on the opening day.
Ref: https://sportstar.thehindu.com
