Babar Azam Holds the Key as South Africa’s Spin Bowling Makes Rawalpindi Test Evenly Poised

The second test between Pakistan and South Africa at Rawalpindi is turning out to be a nail-biter, as the visitors took control of the match at the close of Day 3. The spin attack of South Africa has remained largely impressive in this game. They have strangled the Pakistani batters in both innings, with Maharaj taking the lead among the spin bowlers. He showcased great control with the ball, which allowed South Africa to keep things tight in the middle.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan was looking in full control after getting rid of the South African middle order. Tristan Stubbs started the day on a strong note, however, he got out in the first session to debutant Asif Afridi. Stubbs played a brilliant knock of 76 runs that gave South Africa a steady base in the first innings.

After the dismissal of Tristan Stubbs and Kyle Verreynne, the visitors looked in disarray. It was expected that Pakistan would wrap up the South African innings quickly, but some rearguard effort from Senuran Muthusamy and Kagiso Rabada changed the complexion of the innings.

Senuran Muthusamy, who is still new to international cricket, showcased his batting talent to the world when the South African innings was sinking quickly. He played like a test specialist, giving Pakistan bowlers superb resistance when they were trying to close out the innings.

The commanding batting performance of Senuran Muthusamy amazed everyone, as he hit boundaries and rotated the strike without playing risky shots. He went back to the pavilion with an unbeaten 89 runs at the end of the South African innings.

Besides Muthusamy, the player who surprised the Pakistani bowling attack at the end was none other than Kagiso Rabada. He was looking in a different touch today, as the runs scored by him at the end made a big difference on the scoreboard. Rabada is generally known for his masterful bowling, but today he stunned the Pakistan bowling attack with his aggressive batting.

He built a strong partnership with Muthusamy that overturned all the plans of the Pakistan team. He took down all the bowlers positively, giving South Africa a strong boost right at the end of the innings. His innings of 71 runs allowed South Africa to go past 400 runs, a mark that was once looking a distant possibility for the visitors.

When Pakistan came out to bat, they were rocked back early due to quick wickets. Rabada and Harmer caused the major destruction of the opening lineup, as Pakistan was left searching for answers. It was a precarious situation for the home team, until Babar Azam arrived at the crease.

The superstar batter of Pakistan looked in great touch today. He steadied the innings by holding one end strongly. He went back to the pavilion with an unbeaten 49 runs, giving Pakistan a lead of 23. So, at the end of Day 3 of the Rawalpindi test, Pakistan managed to score 94 runs while losing 4 wickets. This means that South Africa is currently dominating the test match, however, Babar Azam is still holding the keys for Pakistan to stay alive in this match.