South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada, left, celebrates with teammate after taking the wicket of Pakistan’s Abdullah Shafique throughout the third day of the second check cricket match between Pakistan and South Africa, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on October 22, 2025. | Photo Credit: Anjum AP
South Africa was all out Wednesday for 404 in its first innings — having resumed on 185-4 and being decreased to 235-8 and 306-9 — to take a 71-run lead. Pakistan’s left-arm spinner Asif Afridi claimed six wickets and have become the oldest bowler in check cricket to seize a five-wicket haul in his debut check on the age of 38.
Pakistan collapsed to 94-4 in its second innings at stumps. Off-spinner Simon Harmer took 3-26 and Rabada had Abdullah Shafique caught within the slips cordon in his incisive opening spell with the brand new ball.
Babar Azam, who hasn’t scored a global century in additional than two years, is 49 not out and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan undefeated on 16 because the pair led Pakistan’s resistance.
South Africa earlier fought again in a match the place Pakistan had gained the vital toss on a spinning wicket.
Afridi (6-79) had put Pakistan in sight of a significant first-innings lead earlier than the house staff bumped into Muthusamy and Rabada’s electrifying 98-run final wicket stand.
Muthusamy made an unbeaten 89 off 155 balls and Rabada smashed 4 sixes and 4 boundaries in his belligerent 71 off 61 because the Proteas bid to stage the two-match sequence.
Afridi’s five-wicket haul noticed World Test Championship winner South Africa slipping to 221-7 in 80 overs earlier than Pakistan’s ploy to complete off the innings with the second new ball misfired badly.
Muthusamy lower Pakistan’s result in 27 when he shared a 71-run ninth-wicket stand with Keshav Maharaj, who gave no less than three possibilities and went on to attain 30. Rabada blunted the tempo of Shaheen Shah Afridi and the spinners along with his first check 50.
It was solely the second time in check matches that each the ninth and tenth wickets shared partnerships of 50-plus in a check innings.
South Africa went to lunch 48 runs behind with two wickets in hand, however Muthusamy swept and reverse swept in opposition to the spinners with ease and Rabada did not spare the bowlers earlier than he holed out to long-on on the stroke of tea that ended an outstanding counterattack from South Africa.
Record haul
Asid Afridi turned solely the sixth Pakistani spinner after Mohammad Nazir, Shahid Afridi, Bilal Asif, Noman Ali and Abrar Ahmed to seize a five-wicket haul in a debut check after South Africa resumed on 185-4.
In doing so, he beat the check document set by England legspinner Charles Marriott, who returned 5-37 on debut in opposition to West Indies in 1933 on the age of 37.
“I by no means misplaced hope to play (check cricket) after performing constantly in home cricket,” Afridi stated. “I saved the plan easy and deceived the batters from straight deliveries. If we arrange a goal of 170-plus, we are going to win the match. We have two set batters in and we’d even take a 200-plus lead which will probably be tough for them to chase it down on this pitch.” Afridi’s sliders baffled the South Africa batters as he struck on the fourth ball of the day, discovering the surface fringe of Kyle Verreynne’s (10) bat.
Tristan Stubbs (76) added eight to his in a single day 68 earlier than he was undone by one other straight supply as he tried to flick the left-arm spinner off the again foot and was out leg earlier than wicket.
Afridi then celebrated his memorable five-wicket haul when Harmer (2) went for a sweep however was struck on the again leg instantly in entrance of the stumps.
Pakistan took the second new ball and Noman Ali lastly bought his first wicket when he had Marco Jansen lbw.
Pakistan leads the two-match sequence after a win in Lahore final week. (AP) UNG
Published – October 22, 2025 11:40 pm IST
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