Your response has been submittedOur team is reviewing your comment, only selected responses shall be published.
Enjoy the game!
Commentary
LATEST UPDATE
Write your own commentary and get featured!
COMMENTARY NOT AVAILABLE
The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
That is all we have for you from Day One of the 1st of two Test matches in Pakistan's 2024/25 tour of South Africa. It sure was a gripping day of cricket - largely dominated by the bowlers. Despite losing the majority of their top order, the hosts have gotten into a good position, with Aiden Markram leading the way. Join us for coverage of Day 2 at around 9:30 A.M. Local Time (1:00 P.M. IST) tomorrow, and in the meantime, keep a close eye on our page for a whole lot more! This is Rajarshi Das, signing off on behalf of Bidipto Datta. Good night!
5:33 P.M. Local Time, 9:03 P.M. IST: Stumps, Day 1 - South Africa 82/3, trail by 129 runs
Having been bowled out for 211 three balls into the final session, Pakistan were in dire need of a solid start with the ball. They sure began strongly - Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Abbas got the ball to do all sorts of things - nip, swing both ways and leap off the deck. Shahzad landed the first blow, cleaning up Tony de Zorzi with an absolute peach - one that swung extravagant into the left-hander and sneaked through bat and pad.
Shahzad was proving to be the better bowler between him and Abbas with the new ball - the latter did produce a virtually unplayable nut every now and then, but there was the odd loose delivery or two in between, and they were met with disdain. Shahzad kept asking the right questions, and got Ryan Rickelton to nick behind in his fourth over by hitting the pitch hard and landing it along the corridor of uncertainty.
Aiden Markram, though, looked the part with the bat throughout the session. Opening the batting, Markram showed tremendous patience and application, was aware of where his off stump was, left anything marginally away from him, played almost everything late and under his eye, and even though the odd ball whizzed past his outside edge, Markram had opportunities to score, and he latched onto them at the first opportunity.
Tristan Stubbs emulated a lot of that, showing immense promise during his stay out there. Both batters seemed to be at ease as the Proteas crossed the 50-run mark to warm applause. The Pakistan pacers seemed to lose their radar in between, and were in need of a break. Mohammad Abbas went on to deliver that, getting one to nip sharply back into Stubbs and trapping him right in front of all three. Bavuma, along with Markram, safely saw off the last hour of the day.
22
overs
82/3score
1
1
0
0
0
0
runs
Temba Bavuma*
4(23)
Aiden Markram
47(67)
Mohammad Abbas
1/36
21.6 Mohammad Abbas to Temba Bavuma, back of a length on off-stump from wide of the crease. Bavuma stands up tall and blocks it back to the bowler for no run. That ends the 1st day's play at SuperSport Park.
Three slips and a gully in. Last ball of the day coming up...
21.5 Mohammad Abbas to Temba Bavuma, AH! NICE BOWLING! On the fuller side of good length around off-stump from wide of the crease. Nicked to the slips on the front foot but it does not carry! No run.
21.4 Mohammad Abbas to Temba Bavuma, full on the fourth-stump line outside off again, from wide of the crease. Pushed to the short cover point region on the front foot, no run.
21.3 Mohammad Abbas to Temba Bavuma, full on off-stump here. Bavuma turns it around to square-leg but gets no run for it.
21.2 Mohammad Abbas to Aiden Markram, full on the fourth-stump line outside off. A solid knock to the mid-on area on the up for a single.
21.1 Mohammad Abbas to Temba Bavuma, good length ball on the pads from wide of the crease. Tucked to the left of mid-wicket here for a quick single!
Saleem: "Rizwan should have to introduce Aamer Jamal asap", well, the best Rizwan can do is ask Shan Masood to do so, given the fact that it's Masood who's leading the side. Unless of course he's off the field. With just under four minutes left in the day's play, we might not get to see him with the ball today.
21
overs
80/3score
0
0
0
0
1
0
runs
Aiden Markram*
46(66)
Temba Bavuma
3(18)
Khurram Shahzad
2/28
20.6 Khurram Shahzad to Aiden Markram, back of a length on off-and-middle. Defended to the right of the bowler off the back foot, no run.
20.5 Khurram Shahzad to Temba Bavuma, good length ball around off-stump with the movement away. Tapped to the point region on the up for a single to rotate strike.
20.4 Khurram Shahzad to Temba Bavuma, fuller on the off-stump line this time. Knocked to the mid-on area from the crease, no run this time.
20.3 Khurram Shahzad to Temba Bavuma, full and swinging away around off-stump. Bavuma shoulders arms on the front foot and leaves it alone.
20.2 Khurram Shahzad to Temba Bavuma, back of a length on leg-stump. Bavuma tried to clip it off the hip but failed to make contact. It flicked the thigh pad on its way to the keeper.
20.1 Khurram Shahzad to Temba Bavuma, good length ball around off-stump. Bavuma lines it up on the back foot and blocks it back to the bowler.
Oh, and amidst all the talk of 'shoulder-gate' from the Border Gavaskar Trophy, we had another Test cricket confrontation today. Click on the link below to know more!