Paterson, Bosch, and Markram Give South Africa the Upper Hand on Day 1
South Africa finished Day 1 of the first Test against Pakistan in a strong position, trailing by 129 runs after ending the day at 82/3. Thanks to Dane Paterson’s fiery five-wicket haul, Corbin Bosch’s impressive debut with four wickets, and Aiden Markram’s gritty 47*, the hosts are well-placed to challenge Pakistan’s total of 211 at Stumps.
Despite Kagiso Rabada’s tight bowling, which tested the Pakistan batters’ defenses, he ended the day without a wicket. The hosts began the final session by taking the last Pakistan wicket, dismissing Khurram Shahzad early, to bring an end to a bizarre innings that saw Pakistan’s aggressive approach falter under pressure.
South Africa’s chase began with a flourish as Markram played a stylish straight drive for four, but Pakistan struck back. Shahzad’s brilliant delivery sent Tony de Zorzi back for a two-ball duck. Ryan Rickelton survived a nervy review, but soon after, Shahzad struck again, dismissing Rickelton for just 10. Markram continued to anchor the innings, finding boundaries off Mohammad Abbas, but saw his partner Tristan Stubbs depart cheaply to a low delivery.
With Stubbs gone for just nine, Markram and captain Temba Bavuma saw out the remaining overs to bring South Africa to 82/3 at Stumps.
Earlier, Pakistan’s innings had been in turmoil after a solid start, with Bosch’s debut performance triggering a collapse. He dismissed Shan Masood off his first delivery, and Paterson quickly followed up by removing Saim Ayub. Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel briefly steadied the ship, but both fell cheaply, leaving Pakistan reeling at 56/4 before Lunch.
Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Rizwan added 81 runs to rescue the innings, but Ghulam’s poor shot selection ended his stay soon after reaching his half-century. Paterson's second spell proved fruitful as he cleaned up Rizwan and picked up his fourth wicket. The tail struggled, and Pakistan lost wickets quickly, including the vital ones of Salman Agha and Naseem Shah, to finish their innings at 211 all out.
