Pakistan end Day 2 of the 1st Test on 308/8 with a lead of 88

[Abdullah Rabbani]

Faheem does not need balls to settle in. He always does it in PSL and T20Is, where he comes in and hits boundaries right away.

He has been unlucky in ODIs because of the 5 fielders on the boundary, But he just needs one big innings to fix that record.

His records of list a and t20 is very poor and that depicts in int'l

[Amjid Javed]

Every run here is vital

[Gullycricket]

Tuned in now and boy o boy loving this

[Slim]

Hassan should just attack.

[silentkiller187]

no ball

[Thunderbolt14]

The stars are aligning

[imshally81]

What a drama... No ball

[Slim]

No ball by a spinner. My word.

[Rana]

What is this village cricket fight between Hassan and Deqock?

[Amjid Javed]

Hasan gone. Just Yasir left.

[Markhor]

Don't waste this reprieve Hasan.

[Amjid Javed]

No ball thank god.

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Hasan Ali is a very lucky boy. Playing some really loose stuff here. Just see it out and come back tomorrow.

[Ahmed216]

Mujhko rana jee maaf karna galti maare se ho gayii..

[Rana]

Been a long time since ive seen genuine hostility between players!

[Slim]

Mujhko rana jee maaf karna galti maare se ho gayii..

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Hmmm. Now I can see why he is slogging. He can't defend against spin for his life.

[Abdullah Rabbani]

SA is choking here

[Rana]

Hassan having a very club level performance Test match. He doesnt seem to be up for this level

[silentkiller187]

looks like 4 reprieves in one over, short legs fielding placements are questionable aswell, So many catches taken there in the eng sl series, looks like nothing sticking for SA

[Thunderbolt14]

Hassan Ali ki kismat yaarr!!!

[Slim]

Nice shot chachu, positive intent.

[Hyperion66]

What the duck!! you telling me that Pak's no 11 has got a test century in Australia?

[Rana]

That fight though! DeQock is fast becoming the new Stone cold of cricket

[Markhor]

What a crazy over that was.

[Titan24]

Some heat in the middle

[Slim]

That fight though! DeQock is fast becoming the new Stone cold of cricket

What happened? I missed it man.

[observer1]

What happened? I missed it man.

Nothing.

Just being petty. Im guessing De Kock was a tad frustrated it was a noball.

[Rana]

What happened? I missed it man.

Hassan and Deqock being split up by the umpires and uncle noman! They were arguing over something!

[angrypathan]

What happened? I missed it man.

By his description you'd think QdK gave him a stunner mid pitch

[90MPH]

Pakistan got a decent advantage now - Well played Fawad.

SA will be disappointed having got Pak at 26/4.

I will say batting last will be hard - don’t want to chase anything above 150.

[Amjid Javed]

275/4 from todays play - excellent effort. hope we can add another 20 at least tomorrow then bowl SA cheaply afterwards.

[90MPH]

Hassan and Deqock being split up by the umpires and uncle noman! They were arguing over something!

Apparently Hasan was walking over the wicket when he returned to the crease - basically implying he was trying to scuff the pitch.

It’s nonsense really - just think De Kock is upset they his team didn’t bundle Pak cheaply when they had them on the ropes

[bahadur_billa]

Yes I remember.
Was also in the 2009 T20 World Cup winning team.

I think YK would have continued selecting him had he remained captain for longer then 5 minutes

He was also part of 2007 world t20 squad. Took 2 wickets in the semi final. Was dropped for the final.

[Rana]

Apparently Hasan was walking over the wicket when he returned to the crease - basically implying he was trying to scuff the pitch.

It’s nonsense really - just think De Kock is upset they his team didn’t bundle Pak cheaply when they had them on the ropes

uff saffers trembling at the though of facing Uncle Noman and Yasir Shah

[The Viper]

<a href="https://ibb.co/dPZs4XW"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/0C5py1D/56bbc4b1-7061-434b-81f2-d3cfb9bed8bb.jpg" alt="56bbc4b1-7061-434b-81f2-d3cfb9bed8bb" border="0"></a>

[Ozeirk]

The players who got out bar Babar before the start of play were walking wickets anyway. I don't think one should be surprised Pakistan reached the score as most batsment were coming further down the order. Kudos to Pakistan for not folding under pressure.

[JaDed]

Well done Fawad!

[Titan24]

As per Fawad the surface is two paced now as well along with obviously the variable bounce.

[Thunderbolt14]

The players who got out bar Babar before the start of play were walking wickets anyway. I don't think one should be surprised Pakistan reached the score as most batsment were coming further down the order. Kudos to Pakistan for not folding under pressure.

It was an incredibly tough pitch. Azhar gets a lot of credit too, though he is being overlooked for Fawad right now.

[silentkiller187]

That fight though! DeQock is fast becoming the new Stone cold of cricket

More Rey Meysterio than stone cold

[imshally81]

Pakistan's day today...

[Ozymandiasza]

Well played to recover from yesterday's shock. Pakistan's day by a large margin.

Some strange decisions from us. QdK really shouldn't be captaining. I can only hope SA respond as Pakistan did with the bat. Last inning here might be difficult.

[sweep_shot]

Pakistan should win this game.

Very good day for them.

[dildilpak]

Fawad Alam proving temperament matters more than technique! I will admit I was a little skeptical about his ability to survive international cricket.

[dildilpak]

I agree, this is a big lead even considering Pak is batting last. This is now in the pocket.

[Firebat]

KARACHI: South Africa experienced a tough day at the office on day two of the first Test against Pakistan after Fawad Alam’s century left them chasing the game at the National Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday.

The veteran all-rounder played a key hand in the hosts’ revival with a fine 109 (245 balls, 9 fours, 2 sixes) – his third career century – that helped lift his side to 308 for eight at the close.

That put them 88 runs ahead of the Proteas’ first-innings 220, with good contributions also coming from Azhar Ali (51 off 151 balls, 4 fours) and Faheem Ashraf (64 off 84 balls, 9 fours).

Having showed so much of promise with the ball on the opening evening when they claimed four wickets, Mark Boucher’s side would have been hugely disappointed not to have kicked on early on the second morning.

But to their credit, the Pakistanis batted with caution initially as Fawad and Azhar lifted them from 33 for four at the start to 121 before the next wicket fell – the latter edging Keshav Maharaj (2/71) behind to Quinton de Kock to end a 94-run stand.

The arrival of Mohammad Rizwan (33) then seemed to get the home side going as 55 were added for the sixth wicket by the pair.

Lungi Ngidi (2/55) broke that partnership to again give the Proteas hope, but they were then punished by a more fluent seventh-wicket partnership of 102 between Fawad and Faheem, a stand in which the former went to his century with a straight six off Maharaj to spark deserved celebrations.

Although men did eventually fall, Hasan Ali (11), frustratingly dismissed by a Maharaj no-ball before the close, and Nauman Ali (6) took Pakistan to stumps in the driving.

[Firebat]

A few highlights of the game so far:

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[Amjid Javed]

Another 15-20 runs tomorrow could be huge. I hope SA crumble in the 2nd inns. Pakistan wont want to have to chase more than 150 batting last here.

[mazkhan]

Well lead is 88 , if we can get another 62 runs by lunch and get a 150 lead ,need hasan ali , Norman, yasir to make some quick runs.

[Shoaibbtt]

I can only suspect Fawad upset someone very senior in the PCB ranks because it just does not make sense why he wasn't given more opportunities in the last 10 years.

It's favourtism and nepotism that kept him out and that's clearly evident. He was never a trouble maker and they all constantly made excuses on TV as to why he wasn't selected like oh i don't like his moustache/the stance is no good/he's involved in fixing and so and so forth. Fawad is never one to quarrel and nor does he have an attitude problem, he was let down due to the purchi system.

[Shoaibbtt]

I agree, this is a big lead even considering Pak is batting last. This is now in the pocket.

get the lead to 150/160 and you are totally in, make them sweat it out more with that first session. Day 4/5 if it does go to there will be difficult for SA. I wouldn't want SA posting a 150+ score on this pitch.

[HappyWarsFan]

Hasan and Yasir to tonk it around to get Pakistan to 376 all out. Hasan 40 and Yasir 30.

[batandballbattle]

Really good effort from the guys today, pleasantly surprised. I was fearing the worst at the start of the day being 4 down for a cheap score, and was ready to witness the familiar Pakistan script of the batsmen crumbling once the bowlers had put in a good shift. Fantastic effort from Fawad on an awkward pitch, along with faheem who played shots at the other end wile alam played the anchor.

Hasan ali had a very quick century in the qaid-e-azam tropy recently, hopefully he can transfer some of that hitting ability on this stage and get us past a 100 lead.

[Majestic_Inzi]

Nauman is not a bad batter.

Hassan, Nauman and Yasir to add another 30.

Pak hav 2 quality spinners, should be too much to hav saf put a decent lead.

[Savak]

Pakistan has benefited massively from having a very deep batting line up and having tailenders who can bat decently as well. It makes a huge difference in the end.

[NA]

Pakistan has a good lead already but our record of fourth inning chases is so poor recently, that we have to get RSA out cheaply. Any 100+ target in fourth innings will be tricky.

[CricketBuff]

It's favourtism and nepotism that kept him out and that's clearly evident. He was never a trouble maker and they all constantly made excuses on TV as to why he wasn't selected like oh i don't like his moustache/the stance is no good/he's involved in fixing and so and so forth. Fawad is never one to quarrel and nor does he have an attitude problem, he was let down due to the purchi system.

However he kept on showing his caliber, talent and technique constantly. A lesser soul would have crumbled at the injustice being meted out to him. Well done Fawad Alam.

[Buffet]

Pakistan has this game in the bag now.

[HappyWarsFan]

Pakistan has this game in the bag now.

Hope so, but we bat last. That's a danger. SA could set a 200 target.

[Mamoon]

Average batting by Fawad and Faheem. They had South Africa on the ropes and threw it away to give South Africa a glimmer.

They are still heavy favorites but South Africa would have been completely shut out if Fawad and Faheem didn’t throw it away.

But they will cut cakes in celebration today and our fans are singing taranay in their honor for doing the bare minimum.

This teams lacks talent as well as ruthless mentality. Fawad should have scored 150+ and Faheem should have scored a 100.

[Ahson8]

Average batting by Fawad and Faheem. They had South Africa on the ropes and threw it away to give South Africa a glimmer.

They are still heavy favorites but South Africa would have been completely shut out if Fawad and Faheem didn’t throw it away.

But they will cut cakes in celebration today and our fans are singing taranay in their honor for doing the bare minimum.

This teams lacks talent as well as ruthless mentality. Fawad should have scored 150+ and Faheem should have scored a 100.

Fawad's dismissal was soft, but can you really blame Faheem, he got a yorker, dug it out, but it still rolled on to the stumps. Did you even watch the game ?

[mastimasti]

Terrific batting by Azhar, Fawad, Rizwan and Faheem today on a pitch which was still uneven and offered spin if the bowlers were good enough. Nortje and Rabada also got some solid reverse swing and it was fun to watch.

If the last two wickets can score 30-50 runs I think this will be a very competitive lead and South Africa will have to bat long to find their way back into this test. I can see a classic building here.

[MenInG]

Fawad Alam ensured Pakistan bounced back strikingly on the second day in Karachi, his third Test century helping the home side end the day at 308/8, a lead of 88, against South Africa.

Alam’s century formed the bedrock of Pakistan’s efforts on the second day, as he put on sizeable partnerships with Azhar Ali, Mohammad Rizwan and Faheem Ashraf to ensure Pakistan dug themselves out of the hole they found themselves in at the end of the first day. It also meant Pakistan extended Kagiso Rabada’s wait for his 200th Test wicket, to another day at least.

Pakistan were in trouble overnight, having been reduced to 27/4 late on the opening day with their best batsman, Babar Azam, back in the dressing room. The South African bowlers had their tails up, and had they managed a couple of wickets in the morning session, Pakistan might well have crumbled.

Instead, they found themselves facing the steely resolve of Alam and Azhar Ali. Their grit meant the Karachi pitch seemed to no longer possess some of the demons it suggested it had on the previous day. There were a couple of nervy instances early in the day, but once the batsmen rode through that and took the total past 50, they knew there in control.

Alam and Ali put on a fine 94-run partnership, ensuring the South African bowlers had no joy in the opening session, even though Keshav Maharaj, their most experienced spinner, threatened occasionally. Their partnership, which lasted the best part of 40 overs, took the sting out of South Africa. When Maharaj eventually got the breakthrough, Ali attempting a cut and sending it through to the ‘keeper, Pakistan weren’t too affected.

Mohammad Rizwan came in and continued frustrating South Africa. While Alam, in his unorthodox manner, ploughed away, Rizwan adopted a more aggressive approach, scoring a relatively quick 59-ball 33, to put on a quick 50-run stand. He eventually perished to Lungi Ngidi, but the worst was yet to come for South Africa, as Faheem Ashraf joined Alam.

South Africa were punished in differing manners. While Ashraf played his shots and adopted an attacking approach, Alam continued his tried-and-tested approach, grinding out the opposition. The duo added 102 runs for the seventh wicket, during the course of which Alam finally brought up his third Test century – it was his third Test century, meaning every time he has scored over fifty in Test cricket, Alam has managed to convert that into three figures.

Late in the day, after Pakistan had attained the lead and extended it, Alam and Ashraf fell in quick succession. Alam picked out mid-wicket with a flick off Ngidi, in what was a much-needed breakthrough for South Africa, and three overs later, Ashraf followed suit, undone by a yorker from Anrich Nortje. Despite that, Pakistan had scored a dominant 130 runs in the final session alone, and the ball is now firmly in Pakistan’s court.

[Mainul]

A pretty inspirational story of effort and resilience indeed.

True Indeed . Fawad will give all of us courage to achieve anything anytime in future. His career is like " don't loose hope, try and try hard, your door will open one day" 💕

[BigShak]

Great effort from the batters today. Everything setup nicely now for Yasir to wreck havoc on a pitch which is ideally suited to him - turning and keeping low. Expecting him to bag a 5fer in 2nd innings.

[UzmanBeast]

Average batting by Fawad and Faheem. They had South Africa on the ropes and threw it away to give South Africa a glimmer.

They are still heavy favorites but South Africa would have been completely shut out if Fawad and Faheem didn’t throw it away.

But they will cut cakes in celebration today and our fans are singing taranay in their honor for doing the bare minimum.

This teams lacks talent as well as ruthless mentality. Fawad should have scored 150+ and Faheem should have scored a 100.

The ruthless mentality is the part I can agree on.

Someone can dig up the stats, but it has been quite some time since a Pakistan batsman scored a double-century. Those types of innings really punish oppositions, and if Fawad and Faheem had batted for at least 50-60 runs more combined, we'd be in an even better position.

Bowling must be very good tomorrow, no loose deliveries by our pacers. The new ball is South Africa's best chance of getting runs, so they will try to maximize their runs up front.

If our remaining batsmen can add 50 runs together, we'd be in a very strong position.

[Napa]

He should, but man does he have an ugly stance! I can barely get myself to watch him...

Glad he got a century, man deserves success after so many years in the wilderness.

His stance is funny, when facing spinners he seems to turn 90 degrees as the bowler is bowling. Wonder if it helps him by confusing the spinner?

[shamaan]

pakistan are in a commanding position they should look to get a lead of 120