Tea Pakistan 194 and 398 for 5 (Agha 31*, Rizwan 31*, Rabada 3-55) trail South Africa 615 by 23 runs
South Africa inched closer to a series victory with two more wickets before tea, despite a spirited partnership between Salman Agha and Mohammad Rizwan that put South Africa on the verge of being forced to bat again. The session saw Shan Masood’s vigil at the stumps end after 368 minutes at the crease, with Kwena Maphaka proving the bowler of the session, and being rewarded with the Pakistan captain’s wicket. Kagiso Rabada got rid of Saud Shakeel at the other end, but a 69-run partnership between Agha and Rizwan puts Pakistan within 16 runs of levelling the scores.
Masood’s dismissal came in somewhat contentious circumstances. Maphaka got one to shape away off the seam as it kept low before cannoning into the batter’s front pad. Umpire Nitin Menon felt it was missing off stump, but when South Africa reviewed, Hawk-Eye showed it hitting. It prompted a furious response from Shan Masood, whose protests continued all the way along his slow walk off the crease, and into the dressing room.
It capped a bright first hour post-lunch for South Africa. Shakeel had been dispensed with shortly after play resumed in much the same way as he fell in the first session, nicking off into the slips as he drove at Rabada. With Masood departing, there was a danger Pakistan might crumple in a heap, as they have tended to in Test cricket.
But Agha and Rizwan rebuilt once more. They wore off the sheen of the ball, and kept the strike turning over. There were just three fours in the first 55 runs of the partnership as Pakistan looked to milk the tiring bowlers, but when Mulder erred, Agha was quick to put him away for two fours in three balls.
In the morning, Marco Jansen got nightwatchman Khurram Shahzad out early on before Rabada cleaned up Kamran Ghulam. Keshav Maharaj more or less bowled through the entire session, interrupted only when he switched ends at one point. His variations in pace and flight, as well as a ball that continues to turn, posed the most significant threat to the batters, but the wickets have come to pace.
Shahzad had done his job and never quite looked equipped to carry on too long. When a Jansen length ball grew too big on him, he chipped it straight to Maharaj at point. Kamran Ghulam never quite appeared to settle, keeping the slip cordon interested throughout his innings. He should have been on his way without scoring when, in the same over, he slashed at a wide one that burst through David Bedingham’s hands at first slip.
The wicket was always coming though. Rabada’s increasing frustration at his wicketlessness and general indiscipline – he bowled another four no-balls this morning – was mounting. Just after overstepping, he found a beauty that nipped back into Ghulah off the seam, cleaning up off and middle. It was an excellent way to bring up his 50th Test wicket at Newlands, with the roar that followed it making clear how much it meant to him.
Saud Shakeel and Masood, continue to make South Africa work for each scalp, and yet, South Africa could have had one more before lunch. Maphaka squared Shakeel up with a lovely delivery that straightened as it hit the pad, only for South Africa to opt against a review. As Shakeel received extensive treatment for the blow, Hawk-Eye showed it was hitting leg stump.
That error did not cost South Africa much, but as Pakistan continue to hang on, South Africa’s job remains far from done.
Danyal Rasool is ESPNcricinfo’s Pakistan correspondent. @Danny61000