LAHORE: Senuran Muthusamy’s back-to-back wickets gave South Africa much-needed relief in the second session of the first Test against Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.
Muthusamy first dismissed Imam-ul-Haq for 93, ending his crucial 36-run stand with Babar Azam. He then removed Saud Shakeel for a first-ball duck, leaving Pakistan at 199-4 in 57 overs by the close of the second session.
Earlier, the match had seen a strong response from Pakistan after an early setback. Opener Abdullah Shafique was trapped LBW by Kagiso Rabada on the third delivery of the innings, scoring just two runs.
Shan Masood responded with aggressive strokes, hitting consecutive boundaries off Rabada to relieve the pressure.
Shan then forged a significant partnership with Imam-ul-Haq, putting together a 161-run stand for the second wicket.
Shan reached his 12th Test fifty before being dismissed by Prenelan Subrayen for 76 off 147 balls, which included nine fours and a six, leaving Pakistan at 163-2 in 47.3 overs.
Babar Azam walked in and quickly found his rhythm, striking boundaries from the outset. He also reached a major milestone in the ICC World Test Championship, becoming the first Pakistani and the eighth overall batter to surpass 3,000 runs in the tournament’s history.
Imam-ul-Haq, making his return to Test cricket after 2023, had earlier celebrated his 10th Test fifty during the partnership with Shan, showcasing excellent timing and effective strike rotation.
Their stand had taken Pakistan to 107-1 in 28 overs at lunch, providing a strong platform for the team before Muthusamy’s breakthroughs in the second session.
