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Pakistan players walk off the field at stumps on day two of the first Test against South Africa, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on October 13, 2025. — PCB
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South Africa ended day two of the first Test against Pakistan on 216/6, all out for 162, as Tony De Zorzi kept alive the visitors’ resistance at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Monday.
Tony De Zorzi displayed composure and discipline to resist Pakistan’s spin threat, continuing the fightback after Nauman Ali’s strikes. He is still at the crease with 81 runs.
With four wickets remaining, the visitors will look to close the deficit on Day 3, while Pakistan aim to build their upper hand in the contest.
Nauman Ali’s brilliant spell swung the momentum in Pakistan’s favour, giving the team a much-needed relief.
Chasing Pakistan’s 378-run first innings, South Africa got off to a steady start as openers Aidan Markram and Ryan Rickelton negotiated the Pakistani bowling attack before lunch.
After the break, Markram, who recently became the 18th South African to reach 3,000 Test runs, added valuable runs alongside Rickelton.
However, the partnership was broken when Nouman Ali dismissed Margarim for 20 off 37 balls, leaving South Africa at 45-1 in 11.5 overs.
Wayan Mulder then joined Rickleton and contributed with the bat, while Rickleton found the boundary, taking the score to 75-1 in 22 overs.
His stand ended when Nauman struck again, removing Mulder on 41 balls, which included three fours.
Tony De Zorzi walked in next and enjoyed a slice of luck, taking two deliveries past the slip fielders for boundaries. His contributions were crucial as South Africa reached 90-2 in 26 overs.
In the final session, Rickelton showed his class, scoring his maiden Test fifty and helping the pair to a 50-run partnership.
De Zorzi also rose to the occasion, reaching his third Test half-century, helping South Africa pass the 150-run mark, reaching 154-2 in 45 overs. Both of them applied pressure on Pakistan, found limits when they gained confidence.
However, the 94-run stand was broken when Salman Ali Agha removed Rickelton, who played a crucial knock of 71 off 137 balls, which included nine fours and two sixes, to leave the Proteas on 174-3 in 50.1 overs.
After that, the momentum swung strongly in Pakistan’s favour. Tristan Stubbs fell cheaply to Nouman Ali for eight, who claimed his third wicket.
In the following, Sajid Khan struck, dismissing middle-order batsman Devald Braves for a first-ball duck, leaving South Africa under pressure at 193-5 in 56 overs.
Nauman claimed his fourth wicket by trapping South Africa’s sixth batsman, Kyle Vereen, lbw for just two runs off 12 balls.
With four wickets remaining, the visitors will look to close the deficit on Day 3, while Pakistan aim to build their upper hand in the contest.
Earlier, Pakistan were bowled out for 378 in 110.4 overs, courtesy of a phenomenal spell from left-arm spinner Senoran Mithosami, who registered his career-best figure in Test cricket.
Batting first, Pakistan suffered an early blow when opener Abdullah Shafiq was caught lbw by Kagiso Rabida.
However, captain Shaun Masood and Imamul Haq steadied the innings with a 161-run partnership for the second wicket. Imam, returning to Test cricket after 2023, scored his 10th Test fifty, while Shaun reached his 12th half-century.
Their partnership ended when Prenylan Sabrin dismissed Shaun for 76 off 147 balls, an innings with nine fours and a six, which left Pakistan on 163-2.
Babar Azam, looking fluent on arrival, achieved a major milestone by becoming the first Pakistani – and the eighth batsman overall – to surpass 3,000 runs in the ICC World Test Championship.
Before tea on the first day, Muthusami struck twice in quick succession, removing Imam for a well-played 93 off 153 balls, which included seven fours and a six, and Saud Shakeel was dismissed for a first-ball duck. Pakistan slipped to 199-4.
After the break, Babar was dismissed by Simon Harmer for 23 off 48 balls, but Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha rebuilt the innings with a 50-run partnership for the sixth wicket.
Rizwan brought up his 12th Test fifty, while Salman reached his 10th half-century in red ball cricket.
Resuming day two on 313-5, the pair continued confidently, pushing their stand past 150—the highest sixth-wicket partnership for Pakistan against South Africa at home.
However, their promising partnership ended when Mithosami dismissed Rizwan for 75 off 140 balls, which included two fours and two sixes, leaving Pakistan on 362-6.
Mithusami then ran away through the lower order, dismissing Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan for ducks in the same to complete his five-wicket haul.
He later bowled Shaheen Afridi for seven to claim his sixth wicket, as Pakistan bowled out for 378 after Salman Ali Agha was dismissed by Sabrin for a well-crafted 93 off 145 balls, which included five fours and three sixes.
For South Africa, Mithosami finished with impressive figures of 6 for 117 runs in 32 overs, while Sabrin took two wickets. Rabada and Harmer claimed close to a wicket.
