Star Pakistan batter Babar Azam expressed disappointment over not finishing his innings strongly in the second Test against South Africa at Newlands, Cape Town. With Saim Ayyub sidelined due to an ankle injury, Babar was promoted to open the innings—a challenge he accepted head-on.
Babar Azam’s Knock in the First Innings
In the first innings, Babar top-scored for Pakistan with a composed knock of 58 off 127 balls, marking his second consecutive half-century in the format. Despite his solid start, he couldn’t convert it into a significant score, falling to a leg-side strangle by South African pacer Kwena Maphaka.
Reflecting on his performance, Babar admitted to being upset with himself. “I’m very disappointed with both innings. I started well but didn’t finish well. If you settle, you must go much bigger. That is why I was a bit upset,” he said during the press conference.
A Promising Second Innings Cut Short
In the second innings, Babar looked determined and was batting fluently on 81, edging closer to a long-awaited century. However, a lapse in judgment led him to chase a wide delivery from Marco Jansen, resulting in a catch at gully. Speaking about the moment, he expressed regret, especially given the timing of his dismissal with only 15 minutes left in the day.
“There were just 15 minutes left. The conditions here are different from Centurion. When you come to South Africa, you don’t expect that [the pitch will be so flat]. With the new ball, it was a bit challenging, but once you settled down and built a partnership, it became easier,” Babar noted.
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Key Partnership with Shan Masood
Babar also highlighted the importance of his 205-run partnership with Shan Masood in the second innings, which played a pivotal role in Pakistan’s fightback. “I should have capitalised during our partnership, but unfortunately, it didn’t happen. In the second innings, my partnership with Shan has helped us come back into the game a little,” he added.
At stumps on Day 3, Pakistan showed resilience, reaching 213/1 in their second innings. They trailed South Africa by 208 runs, with Shan Masood (102*) and Khurram Shahzad (8*) at the crease. This improved performance offered hope for a strong finish after being bundled out for just 194 in the first innings, in response to South Africa’s imposing 615.
