Keshav Maharaj walked off Rawalpindi’s first-day pitch sounding quietly satisfied. Pakistan sit on 259 for 5 – not a dominant total given they were 146 for 1 – and South Africa’s senior spinner judged the day level. “I think it was an even day,” he said. “We managed to control their run rate. When the ball gets softer – which happens quite quickly because the wicket’s quite hard, we managed to just go to old-fashioned Test cricket… I felt if we got one more wicket at night, we’d probably have had a little bit of an upper hand.”
Key facts first, then the colour. Pakistan won the toss, batted, and for two sessions looked set for something big. Abdullah Shafique rode his luck – three drops, plus one delivery that brushed the off-stump without dislodging a bail – and Babar Azam’s usual calm threatened further damage. But Maharaj, returning from a groin strain that kept him out of Lahore, removed Babar with a ball that dipped, gripped and forced a mis-hit. Late in the day he tempted Shan Masood into a sweep and Marco Jansen made no mistake at square leg. Kagiso Rabada, lively in fading light, nipped out a fifth just before stumps.
The catches, or rather the drops, framed South Africa’s morning. Five went down, recalls of Lahore’s ragged opening day. Maharaj was phlegmatic. “As a collective we know how important catches are, not just in the subcontinent. No one means to drop catches; it was nice to see the guys bounce back and take the catches that they did. Bit frustrating but no one means to drop chances.” Tony de Zorzi’s sharp take at backward point that sent Babar on his way felt like a release of tension as much as a breakthrough.
Spin dominated the overs tally. Maharaj bowled 31, Simon Harmer 23, the pair operating in tandem for much of the afternoon while the ball aged and the surface slowed. Senuran Muthusamy, star of Lahore, sent down only four. Again Maharaj explained the thinking. “We saw that the wicket didn’t play like Lahore and we felt like we just wanted to try and restrict the Pakistani batters. I don’t think there was an issue. Sen came back nicely with the second spell that he bowled.”
Raw numbers back him up. Pakistan scored 54 fewer than they did on day one last week. The run-rate sat under three for long stretches, a nod to that ‘old-fashioned’ approach. For viewers used to Bazball rhythms this was slower, more attritional fare, yet no less compelling. Every maiden over felt as though it nudged the pressure gauge South Africa’s way.
Shafique is unbeaten on 96, Masood’s 68 already banked, but the hosts’ middle and lower order remains a work-in-progress. Maharaj knows collapses lurk; Pakistan lost their last five for 16 and last six for 17 in Lahore. One more wicket with a relatively new ball on the second morning and the lower half could be exposed quickly.
“Tomorrow’s an important day,” Maharaj said, almost underplaying the obvious. Rabada has a fresh ball nine overs old, Jansen’s bounce should suit the morning start, and the spinners will relish footmarks widening near the left-hander’s off stump.
A brief tactical note for fans who like the nuts and bolts. Harmer flighted the ball above the eyeline, enticing drives; Maharaj’s angle into the right-hander then straightened – a classic one-two designed to make batters plant a front foot and hope. The plan worked often enough to drag run-rates down, even if the wicket column felt light until the final session.
So, honours even after day one. Pakistan will point to Shafique’s chance to convert and the depth of their tail. South Africa take comfort in control, scoreboard pressure kept manageable, and the knowledge that early rewards tomorrow could tilt this Test decisively. Errors were made, chances shelled, but the tourists’ response – patient, methodical, slightly old-school – has kept the contest alive. That, some days, is victory enough.
