ANI
Centurion
Aiden Markram spearheaded South Africa’s counterattack after Pakistan’s pace unit rattled the hosts early on first day of the Boxing Day Test at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Thursday.
At stumps, South Africa’s scoreboard read 82/3, trailing Pakistan by 129 runs. Aiden Markram remained unbeaten on 47 off 67 balls, while skipper Temba Bavuma held steady at 4 off 23 deliveries.
The day saw 13 wickets fall, with both sides opting for all-out pace attacks. After dismissing Pakistan for 211, South Africa began their innings with momentum on their side.
Aiden Markram and Tony de Zorzi opened for the hosts, aiming to provide a solid start. While Markram appeared comfortable at the crease, de Zorzi struggled to find his rhythm. He managed to see off the first seven deliveries, but Khurram Shahzad produced a sharp in-swinger that breached de Zorzi’s defences, uprooting the middle stump.
Markram counterattacked effectively, punishing any deviation in line and length by dispatching loose deliveries to the boundary. However, South Africa’s middle order faltered.
Earlier, Pakistan were sent in to bat after losing the toss. Openers Shan Masood and Saim Ayub displayed resilience before the drinks break. However, South Africa’s pace attack dismantled Pakistan’s line-up shortly thereafter. Salman Agha (11) and Aamer Jamal (28) added useful runs, while Khurram Shahzad (11) and Mohammad Abbas (10*) provided late contributions, taking the visitors to 211.
Corbin Bosch and Dane Paterson were instrumental in Pakistan’s collapse. Bosch claimed a four-wicket haul, while Paterson secured a five-fer. Marco Jansen chipped in with one wicket, while Kagiso Rabada remained wicketless despite a disciplined performance.
ScorescColor:> South Africa 82 for 3 (Markram 47*, Shahzad 2-28) trail Pakistan 211 (Gulam 54, Paterson 5-61, Bosch 4-63) by 129 runs.
