South Africa Dominate After Lunch, Dismantle Pakistan's Resistance in Centurion
South Africa continued their relentless pursuit of wickets in the post-Lunch session at Centurion, reducing Pakistan to 209/9 by Tea, as the hosts' bowlers took control in front of a jubilant crowd. Dane Paterson starred with a stunning five-wicket haul, while debutant Corbin Bosch claimed four, rattling the visitors' batting line-up. Kamran Ghulam (54) led Pakistan's resistance, helping them add 121 runs in the session.
Though Kagiso Rabada remained wicketless, his probing spell was the highlight of the day. He consistently tested Pakistan's batters, causing Mohammad Rizwan all sorts of trouble, while Marco Jansen, though effective at times, allowed the opposition to capitalize on occasional loose deliveries.
The breakthrough came when Rabada, after relentless pressure, dismissed Ghulam, who was lucky to survive earlier outside the off-stump. Rabada's persistence eventually paid off as Ghulam edged one to gully, but it was Paterson who struck next, removing the batter with a wild swipe to deep backward-square leg. This break in Pakistan's partnership shifted the momentum in South Africa's favor.
Paterson, not to be outdone, struck again, sending Rizwan packing and claiming his fourth wicket. The aggressive Pakistani pair of Salman Agha and Aamer Jamal countered with a 47-run partnership, but a mini-collapse ensued as both fell in quick succession. Bosch joined in the act, dismissing Jamal, before the final pair of Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Abbas held on long enough to push the score past 200 before Tea.
Earlier, Pakistan's top order crumbled after a solid start. Bosch’s introduction marked the turning point as he claimed the first wicket off his very first ball in Test cricket, dismissing Shan Masood. Paterson followed up with a beauty to dismiss Salim Ayub, leaving Pakistan reeling at 56 for 4. Despite Babar Azam's brief stay and Saud Shakeel’s quickfire 14, it was the combined effort of Paterson and Bosch that put Pakistan on the back foot.
Brief Scores: Pakistan 209/9 (Kamran Ghulam 54, Aamer Jamal 28; Dane Paterson 5-35, Corbin Bosch 4-24) vs South Africa.
