Everything looked swell for the Proteas at the tea interval.
They had earlier restricted Pakistan to 378, courtesy of Senuran Muthusamy’s career-best six-for, and had moved to 112/2 with two set batters Ryan Rickleton (71) and Tony de Zorzi at the crease.
Rickelton looked like a batter that had scored a double century the last time he faced the same opposition, and De Zorzi was riding all the luck of a man that should go out and get a lottery card, to move the Proteas up to a comfortable 174/2.
But then it all went horribly wrong. Part-time off-spinner Salman Aga, who had missed out on a century earlier in the day, ripped one off a full length before straightening it enough to find the leading edge. Plenty of work still needed to be done behind the stumps though where Babar Azam took a splendid one-handed catch inches off the Gaffafi Stadium turf.
New batter Tristan Stubbs’ meagre returns continued, and soon the discussion will have to be had about his continued place in the Test side, with the irrepressible Noman Ali once again finding the outside edge with a sharp turning delivery.
Pakistan’s innings showed that wickets can fall in clusters here in Lahore, and the Proteas’ mimicked their hosts when Dewald Brevis (0) chipped his first ball straight to short midwicket.
Sajid Khan delivered a roar of delight in celebration after the off-spinner experienced a frustrating spell where umpire reviews went against him for the majority of the afternoon.
The biggest beneficiary of the referrals was De Zorzi, who after starting nervously against the pacers Hasan Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi with a couple of edges through the slip cordon, then somehow getting outside the line of the stumps when the ball his pads, particularly off Sajid.
But to De Zorzi’s credit, he showed great determination not to be flustered by all the appeals and half-chances as he worked his way towards his third Test half-century to remain unbeaten on 81.
Kyle Verreynne was not as fortunate with his referral being struck down after a straight delivery from Noman crashed into his pads.
The Proteas had lost four wickets for 26 runs and the initiative was now with Pakistan.
De Zorzi will hope his good fortune continues on Tuesday along with bowling hero Muthusamy as the pair look to inch closer to Pakistan’s total.
First Test. Day 2. Stumps
Pakistan: 378 all out (Salman 93, Rizwan 75, Muthusamy 6/117)
South Africa: 216/6 (De Zorzi 81*, Rickleton 71, Noman Ali 4/85)
South Africa trail by 162 runs
