Batsmen Lead Pakistan to Strong Start Against South Africa

LAHORE, October 12, 2025 – Pakistan’s cricket team enjoyed a very successful first day of their Test match against South Africa. The game is being played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first. This decision proved to be an excellent one. Their batsmen scored runs consistently throughout the day. Four different players scored half-centuries, putting Pakistan in a commanding position.

The day started dramatically for South Africa. Their fast bowler, Kagiso Rabada, took a wicket on just the third ball of the match. He dismissed opener Abdullah Shafique. This was a perfect start for the visitors. However, it did not take long for Pakistan to recover. The next two batsmen, Imam-ul-Haq and Shan Masood, built a magnificent partnership.

Together, Imam and Masood added 161 runs for the second wicket. They batted with great control and skill. Imam-ul-Haq was particularly aggressive. He hit the bad balls to the boundary regularly. He scored his fifty from just 65 balls. At the other end, captain Shan Masood provided solid support. He also played some beautiful shots, including a six over the bowler’s head. He reached his own half-century after the lunch break.

South Africa had chances to break the partnership earlier. They dropped two difficult catches in the field. First, Masood was dropped at short leg when he was on 61 runs. Soon after, Imam was also given a life when a fielder misjudged a catch at mid-off. These mistakes proved very costly for the South African team.

The visitors finally found success just before the tea break. Their spinners started to take control. First, spinner Prenelan Subrayen finally dismissed Masood for 76 runs. Then, Senuran Muthusamy took two wickets in two balls. He first caught Imam-ul-Haq for 93 runs, just seven short of a century. Immediately after, he dismissed Saud Shakeel for zero runs.

The momentum had shifted. After tea, South Africa took another big wicket. They dismissed the star batsman, Babar Azam, for 29 runs. Pakistan had gone from a strong position of 199 for 2 to a shaky 199 for 5.

But Pakistan had another strong partnership waiting. Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha came together at the crease. They decided to attack the South African bowlers. Rizwan was especially brave. He hit the spinners for a six and several boundaries. Salman Agha played a more careful innings, but he also scored well.

The pair fought hard and had some luck. Rizwan was dropped in the slips when he had 26 runs. He was also given out leg-before-wicket but successfully reviewed the decision. Agha also survived a very close call for a catch. They used these opportunities to build a massive unbroken partnership.

By the end of the day, Rizwan and Agha had added 114 runs together. Both batsmen reached their fifties. They walked off the field unbeaten. Pakistan finished the day on 313 runs for the loss of only 5 wickets. This is considered a very strong score, especially on a pitch that is already showing signs of wear. Pakistan will be very happy with their opening day’s work.