Defiant Masood narrows Pakistan's deficit to 109 in 2nd Test against South Africa

Pakistan captain Shan Masood continued to defy South Africa as the tourists cut down the deficit to 109 runs on the fourth day of the second and final Test on Monday.

Masood progressed to a defiant 137 off 232 balls and led Pakistan to 312-3 at lunch with Saud Shakeel getting a lucky escape and staying unbeaten on 16.

South Africa enforced the follow-on after Pakistan collapsed to 194 on a dry wicket in reply to the home team’s massive first innings score of 615.

Shakeel could have been out leg before wicket to Kwena Maphaka in the penultimate over before the break, but South Africa didn’t go for a television review against Indian on-field umpire Nitin Menon’s not out decision. TV replays clearly showed the ball would have hit the leg stump of the left-hander and earned South Africa its third wicket of the session.

But Masood stood firm and continued to lead Pakistan’s strong fightback on Monday after sharing a record-breaking double century opening partnership with Babar Azam (81) that had anchored the tourists to 213-1 on Day 3.

Shan Masood plays a shot during the fourth day of the second Test match in Cape Town. AFP

Nightwatchman Khurram Shahzad (18) frustrated South Africa in the morning before Marco Jansen (2-74) had him caught at point. Jansen came close to getting Kamran Ghulam (28) out without scoring in the same over, but David Bedingham missed a sitter in the first slip.

Ghulam hit four boundaries but was undone by Kagiso Rabada’s (1-81) off a delivery that just came back enough to hit the off stump as the batter attempted a loose drive and missed the line of the ball.

Masood, resuming on 102, kept batting solidly against the pace and left-arm spin of Keshav Maharaj as the left-hander hit just two boundaries in the first session in his patient knock.

South Africa sealed its place in June’s World Test Championship final against Australia after narrowly beating Pakistan by two wickets in the first test at Centurion.

Australia booked its place in the WTC final at Lord’s after it clinched a six-wicket victory against India on Sunday in the fifth and final test at Sydney. Australia also regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with the 3-1 series win against India for the first time in 10 years.

Associated Press