CENTURION: Pakistan’s bowlers hit back after the tourists were bowled out for 211 on the first day of the first Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park on Thursday.
Khurram Shahzad struck twice and Mohammad Abbas claimed a late wicket as South Africa reached 82 for three at the close.
Dane Paterson and debutant Corbin Bosch did most of the damage for South Africa after Pakistan were sent in to bat on a well-grassed pitch.
Paterson, enjoying a late-career surge at the age of 35, took five for 61 — his second five-wicket haul in successive Tests — while Bosch took four for 63.
Kamran Ghulam made a counter-attacking 54 off 71 balls for Pakistan.
Bosch claimed a wicket with his first ball in Test cricket when Pakistan captain Shan Masood edged a drive to Marco Jansen at fourth slip after Masood and Saim Ayub put on 36 for the first wicket.
The openers batted patiently in the first hour but the tempo of the innings changed after Masood’s dismissal.
Pakistan coach Aaqib Javed said in a pre-match television interview that he didn’t expect a significant difference in approach from his players after they beat South Africa 3-0 in a one-day series which ended on Sunday.
Javed reasoned that it was the sort of pitch on which positive stroke play was required to score runs in seam-friendly conditions.
It seemed the majority of Pakistan’s batsmen were still in aggressive one-day mode. Both Paterson and Bosch benefitted from batsmen playing poor strokes.
Saud Shakeel played an extraordinary innings after going out to bat with his side on 41 for three after Ayub and Babar Azam quickly followed Masood back to the dressing room.
Shakeel hit three boundaries off his first five balls before gloving a catch to wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne to be out for 14 off six balls.
Ghulam was undeterred, racing to a 52-ball half-century and sharing a rapid 81-run fifth-wicket stand with Mohammad Rizwan (27).
Ghulam went for his shots, sometimes to the frustration of the South African bowlers, and his feisty effort included an exchange of words with Kagiso Rabada — South Africa’s most impressive bowler despite not taking a wicket — and Verreynne.
Ghulam was out in bizarre fashion, charging down the pitch to Paterson and top-edging a slog to long leg.
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Bowlers bring Pakistan back into first Test in South Africa
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Bowlers bring Pakistan back into first Test in South Africa
- Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan remain unbeaten on 23, 10 respectively
- South Africa reached 82-3 at stumps after Khurram Shahzad took two, Mohammad Abbas claimed one wicket
Svitolina downs Gauff, Pegula fights back to beat Anisimova in Dubai semis
- Elina Svitolina secures second consecutive victory over the world number four in a grueling three-hour encounter
DUBAI: Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina kept up her recent winning run against Coco Gauff as she edged the American 6-4 6-7(13) 6-4 on Friday to set up a final showdown with Jessica Pegula at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Pegula shook off a first-set stumble to defeat fellow American Amanda Anisimova 1-6 6-4 6-3 in the other semifinal.
Svitolina secured her second consecutive victory over the world number four in a grueling three-hour encounter, having previously beaten Gauff in straight sets at last month’s Australian Open quarter-finals.
Two-times Grand Slam champion Gauff struggled with double faults throughout the opening set as Svitolina seized control, breaking decisively to claim it 6-4.
Gauff roared back in the second set, displaying her trademark fighting spirit to force a tiebreak. The American saved four match points in a breathtaking 15-13 tiebreak thriller, keeping her hopes alive and electrifying the Dubai crowd.
The momentum swung back and forth in the decider, with the ninth game proving pivotal as it repeatedly went to deuce. Svitolina eventually held her nerve to edge ahead 5-4 before serving out the match to seal a hard-fought victory.
“I’m speechless after that fight. I was really trying to put myself out there, playing as if there was no tomorrow,” Svitolina said.
“It’s really special to be in the final again after a few years. Coco is such a big fighter. I was expecting her to come back in the match. She’s won so many big tournaments. I’m very pleased with the fight and the win,” she added.
Pegula stages comeback against Anisimova
World number six Anisimova took less than half an hour to win the first set before building a 3-1 lead in the second. But Pegula held her nerve and broke Anisimova three times in a row to win the second set, before securing victory in the decider.
“I held on to my serve there in the second set. I just kept telling myself that I had some break points in the first set, even though it was convincingly the other way, and I knew I could get some break points back,” 2024 US Open finalist Pegula said.
Pegula drew her opponent into longer rallies as she plotted her comeback, making Anisimova run back and forth with short slices and won the second set with a powerful backhand, as Anisimova’s hasty return went long.
An exhausted Anisimova found the net while attempting a drop shot, setting up Pegula’s break point to take a decisive 3-1 lead in the third set, clearing the path to her eighth WTA 1000 final.
Pegula shook off a first-set stumble to defeat fellow American Amanda Anisimova 1-6 6-4 6-3 in the other semifinal.
Svitolina secured her second consecutive victory over the world number four in a grueling three-hour encounter, having previously beaten Gauff in straight sets at last month’s Australian Open quarter-finals.
Two-times Grand Slam champion Gauff struggled with double faults throughout the opening set as Svitolina seized control, breaking decisively to claim it 6-4.
Gauff roared back in the second set, displaying her trademark fighting spirit to force a tiebreak. The American saved four match points in a breathtaking 15-13 tiebreak thriller, keeping her hopes alive and electrifying the Dubai crowd.
The momentum swung back and forth in the decider, with the ninth game proving pivotal as it repeatedly went to deuce. Svitolina eventually held her nerve to edge ahead 5-4 before serving out the match to seal a hard-fought victory.
“I’m speechless after that fight. I was really trying to put myself out there, playing as if there was no tomorrow,” Svitolina said.
“It’s really special to be in the final again after a few years. Coco is such a big fighter. I was expecting her to come back in the match. She’s won so many big tournaments. I’m very pleased with the fight and the win,” she added.
Pegula stages comeback against Anisimova
World number six Anisimova took less than half an hour to win the first set before building a 3-1 lead in the second. But Pegula held her nerve and broke Anisimova three times in a row to win the second set, before securing victory in the decider.
“I held on to my serve there in the second set. I just kept telling myself that I had some break points in the first set, even though it was convincingly the other way, and I knew I could get some break points back,” 2024 US Open finalist Pegula said.
Pegula drew her opponent into longer rallies as she plotted her comeback, making Anisimova run back and forth with short slices and won the second set with a powerful backhand, as Anisimova’s hasty return went long.
An exhausted Anisimova found the net while attempting a drop shot, setting up Pegula’s break point to take a decisive 3-1 lead in the third set, clearing the path to her eighth WTA 1000 final.
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