RAWALPINDI, Feb 4: Captain Babar Azam and Fawad Alam revived Pakistan with a century stand to be 145-3 against South Africa on a rain-hit first day of the second cricket test on Thursday.
Babar raised his 16th test half-century and was unbeaten on 77 with a dozen boundaries while left-handed Alam continued his rich batting form to be 42 off 138 balls at tea.
They did not resume as rain washed out the last session. Pakistan was in trouble early after left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj took two wickets in 10 balls and fast bowler Andrich Nortje had Abid Ali caught at forward short leg.
But Babar and Alam put the innings back on track with an unbroken 123-run stand as the ball got older in the middle session on a dry pitch which eased out for batting. Babar caressed the offside field through some crisp cover drives, and was equally good off his back foot against the three fast bowlers.
Maharaj bowled the bulk of the overs, his 25 conceding 51 runs for two wickets.
The Pakistan skipper completed his fifty with a flicked boundary off Wiaan Mulder — the only change the Proteas made from the team which lost the first Test last week.
Earlier, Proteas’ skipper Quinton de Kock read the dry pitch well as the visitors snapped up three wickets for one run within four overs after Babar won the toss and elected to bat. (AP)
