Pakistani weirdos Yasir Shah and Nauman Ali grabbed three wickets in ten runs to stop South Africa’s fight on the third day of the first test in Karachi on Thursday.
When it looked like South Africa was going to end the day on par after wiping Pakistan’s huge 158 innings lead, Yasir struck twice and Nauman once to leave the tourists close at 187-4.
The night watchman Keshav Maharaj was unbeaten on two and skipper Quinton de Kock had yet to score as South Africa now lead with 29 runs and six second innings wickets in hand.
Previously, Pakistan scored 378 points, taking a decisive lead over the first 220 innings in South Africa.
Opener Aiden Markram, who scored a polished 74 for his 8th fifty, added 127 for the second wicket, with Rassie van der Dussen scoring a solid 64.
But Yasir, with numbers 3-53, changed the scenario by dismissing Dussen, who had caught and then caught Faf Du Plessis ten minutes earlier while Nauman had Markram caught by a nearfield player to a collapse of three wickets in 33 balls trigger.
Markram, who was dropped by Pakistani skipper Babar Azam against spinner Yasir on the 27th, had also overturned a decision before four against four.
Dussen had also overturned a leg-before decision at 56. Markram hit ten limits and Dussen five.
Both Yasir and Nauman will pose a major threat to South Africa on a fourth day at the National Stadium, where 14 wickets were produced on the first day, four wickets on the second and four on the third day.
South Africa got off to a confident start with Markram and Dean Elgar resisting Pakistan’s attack and were no loss at lunch 37.
Elgar, who was visibly uncomfortable after being hit in the left hand by a rising shipment from pacemaker Shaheen Shah Afridi, was caught by diving wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan in front of Yasir for 29.
In the morning, Pakistan’s tail added 70 runs to frustrate South Africa, which was looking for quick wickets.
South Africa’s spearhead Kagiso Rabada has bowled Hasan Ali 21 times to reach 200 wickets in his 44th test.
25-year-old Rabada is the eighth South African to take 200 or more test wickets.
Pakistan was 323-9 at the time, but Yasir and Nauman added 55 valuable runs for the final wicket.
Yasir, who scored a Test Century in Australia in 2019, failed to hit out of six and four fours in his 38, while debutant Nauman scored three limits before falling to 24.
Rabada, who took 3-70, and Spinner Maharaj, who took 3-90, were the choices of South African bowlers.
