Pakistan reach 17/2 at Stumps on Day 1 and trail South Africa by 245 runs in the 3rd Test

[MenInG]

With South Africa now holding an unassailable 2-0 lead, for Pakistan all that is left in this Test series is pride to play for and a positive result here could mean morale boost for the ODI series.

A 3-0 whitewash could mean trouble for Sarfaraz Ahmed and also a rise in ICC Test rankings for the hosts.

Conditions

The weather at Johannesburg should be pleasant for most part although there are a few thunderstorms on the radar. As for the pitch, it's expected to be a sporting wicket with support for seamers while also affording batsmen opportunities to dig in and score runs.

Teams

Pakistan: 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Shan Masood, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Babar Azam, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt./wk), 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Mohammad Abbas, 11 Hasan Ali


South Africa: 1 Dean Elgar (capt.), 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Theunis de Bruyn, 5 Temba Bavuma, 6 Zubayr Hamza, 7 Quinton de Kock (wk), 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Duanne Olivier

[Usman Chadda]

Fastest pitch in South Africa. Hoping for the best, expecting the worst.

[Mueez]

Pak should bowl first imo.

[Baigel]

Pak should bowl first imo.

You've got your wish. Pakistan lose the toss and are bowling first

[MenInG]

South Africa have won the toss and elected to bat.

[Greenstorm]

How is the pitch ?

[Square Drive]

Three changes. Think Shaheen is out for Hasan.

[Sachin136]

Pak should bowl first imo.

Batting last is almost always a bad choice these days.

[Asif321]

Stupidity to replace batsmen with bowing all rounder
Tail is too long now shadab and Faheem won’t last more than 10 balls

[MMHS]

So fans have got their wish finally- PAK’s pace battery has got SAF in their sight on 1st morning.

[JattMaula]

Sarfaraz to bat at 6.

Brave.

[imshally81]

Stupidity to replace batsmen with bowing all rounder
Tail is too long now shadab and Faheem won’t last more than 10 balls

Another opinion....

[Abdullah]

Finally we get the right 11 on the park!!
Excect the bowling to be much better for it, but how much can we really expect from shadab and faheem with the bat given they have not batted all tour.
Hope they can come into bat AFTER the 50 over mark to ease their passage into the game!!
Expecting a good scrap!!

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

I like Pakistan team - a lot. Proper batting anyway starts after no 4.

I think Pakistan have a big chance. Remember they lost the first test due to one session.

[Abdullah]

Stupidity to replace batsmen with bowing all rounder
Tail is too long now shadab and Faheem won’t last more than 10 balls

They may not here ( due to lack of practice) but we should have always played this line up from the start practice games.

[Sunny_majoka]

Finally we get the right 11 on the park!!
Excect the bowling to be much better for it, but how much can we really expect from shadab and faheem with the bat given they have not batted all tour.
Hope they can come into bat AFTER the 50 over mark to ease their passage into the game!!
Expecting a good scrap!!

This is the right combination apart from imam its the right 11 too.

[Da_Future_Knick]

No Rizwan. He deserved a go in the final test tbh

[Chief Destroyer]

Better selection this time. Could've given Rizwan a chance instead of Shadab but this is alright.

[MenInG]

Pakistan: 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Shan Masood, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Babar Azam, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt./wk), 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Mohammad Abbas, 11 Hasan Ali

South Africa: 1 Dean Elgar (capt.), 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Theunis de Bruyn, 5 Temba Bavuma, 6 Zubayr Hamza, 7 Quinton de Kock (wk), 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Duanne Olivier

[Oligochaetes]

Shadab and Faheem in. Hasan too.

Let's see how they do...fingers crossed

[ILcricket]

Like the 11 picked by visitors but host still being too defensive with Philander batting at 8 . Should have added Keshav to the attack & dropped a batsmen . Did anyone see the pitch report ? Seems like a decent batting surface .

[JibranAnsari]

I was watching the pakistan bowling for shaheen afridi , stupid to 'rest' him as he will not to play on pitches like these very often plus he is our top wicket taker in the series.

[JibranAnsari]

Instead of shadab , should have played rizwan.

[JibranAnsari]

Asad celebrating his 50 with a frenchie.

[Amirforpresident]

Will this wicket suit Abbas?

[JibranAnsari]

Will this wicket suit Abbas?

Flat wicket , should suit him.

[imshally81]

Instead of shadab , should have played rizwan.

Rizwan is useless...

[MSaad1237]

Why drop Shaheen who has been your best bowler this series?? Was he injured or what?

[Rinnegan Sasuke]

Amir starting with a ferocious 126 kph delivery. Disgusting.

[Usman Chadda]

Why drop Shaheen who has been your best bowler this series?? Was he injured or what?

Rested.

Amir's pace still down. How has this not been identified yet?

[Baigel]

Why have we got the tallest man on the team at short leg

[Shafi]

Amir's bowling looks worse than Pandia

[MSaad1237]

Really a sign or worry for Amir! He is bowling at Philander's Pace with no swing. Ordinary stuff .

[Sunny_majoka]

Legend strikes

[Chief Destroyer]

Abbas clearly not fully healthy. He's not hitting the deck as hard.

[JibranAnsari]

Rizwan is useless...

So was shan masood.

[Usman Chadda]

Dean Elgar sure did blow Pakistan out of the water there

[MSaad1237]

Abbas clearly not fully healthy. He's not hitting the deck as hard.

At least he has decent Swing and seam off the surface . Amir lacks both.

[JibranAnsari]

Amir is not getting his length right , he will never succeed with that good length stuff. He needs to understand that he is a swing bowler and he needs to bowl fuller than other bowlers.

[Chief Destroyer]

At least he has decent Swing and seam off the surface . Amir lacks both.

They're both getting movement. Amir doesn't get as many wickets because he's a coward and bowls defensively.

[Baigel]

Gottem

[JibranAnsari]

This match has abbas written all over it , batsmen are gonna us over again though.

[Baigel]

Anybody else hear that?

[JibranAnsari]

Amir missing his length as usual.

[Amjid Javed]

Sarfaraz to bat at 6.

Brave.

Stupid more like

[JibranAnsari]

A loud grunt but not much pace

[Nikhil_cric]

This Wanderers track is deceptive. Looks placid now but will quicken up tmrw.

[Mueez]

Is Hasan playing?

[JibranAnsari]

A new ball bowler must be able to bowl outswing.

[Shafi]

Our test team getting worse with time.

[Pete Rose]

Good start for Pakistan.

[Oligochaetes]

Dean Elgar sure did blow Pakistan out of the water there

Lol...nice one..

9 more left

[Arsalan Pro]

There can't be a series without a drop catch of Amir's bowling.

[Pete Rose]

Rameez had an excellent sequence of commentary about what an ideal time it is to captain and bat for South Africa leading to Elgar’s dismissal

[Pete Rose]

There can't be a series without a drop catch of Amir's bowling.

‘Drop’

[yasir]

Atleast they got combination right.

Very disappointing at pace of Amir, you are not going to get much at that pace

[Sachin136]

There can't be a series without a drop catch of Amir's bowling.

That was hardly a chance.

[letme alone]

abass reaching 130 kl

[Nikhil_cric]

There can't be a series without a drop catch of Amir's bowling.

Barely a chance.

[Arsalan Pro]

Amir getting it to inswing.

[Pete Rose]

Both batsmen are bowl/lbw candidates

[JibranAnsari]

Pakistans gonna get their best batsman injured at short leg.

[Pete Rose]

Aamir needs to keep cranking it up: we have five bowlers

[Nikhil_cric]

Its pathetic not to give Hasan the new ball. He's quicker and any inward movement at pace would send Amla back.

[JibranAnsari]

Length not ideal to get lbw.

[Deewana Mastana]

To those who are watching, Amir continuing to bowl his 130kph thunderbolts?

[BreadPakoda]

Amir's pace?

[Sachin136]

To those who are watching, Amir continuing to bowl his 130kph thunderbolts?

Yes, around low 130s.

[JibranAnsari]

If you are bowling good length , need to move the ball away from the batsman.

[JibranAnsari]

Better over from amir.

[Amirforpresident]

Maybe Amir is bowling slow on purpose to get back at Sarfraz.

[Arsalan Pro]

To those who are watching, Amir continuing to bowl his 130kph thunderbolts?

He is bowling close to 135 Kph now.

[Arsalan Pro]

Amir's pace?

133-135 Kph

[JibranAnsari]

Brilliant,

[JibranAnsari]

Creamed for

[letme alone]

time to introduce faheem 140+ bowler

[Pete Rose]

Not a lot happening with the ball at the m9ment

[Deewana Mastana]

Pakistan once again conceeding a bit too many runs early on especially Abbas.

[Arsalan Pro]

Hasan also bowling at 128 Kph

[Madplayer]

Shabash. 128 kph by Hasan Ali