Abdullah Shafique cheats dismissal in Rawalpindi Test; UltraEdge shows shocking reprieve despite ball hitting stumps
Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique led a solid start against South Africa after Imam-ul-Haq’s early exit, with Shafique surviving multiple lucky escapes.
Pakistan made a good start in the second and final Test match of the home series against South Africa on Monday. The batters negated through the tough opening hour, where they lost opener Imam-ul-Haq for 17. But captain Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique showed their defiance in their unbeaten 60-run stand for the second wicket as Pakistan reached 95 for one at the end of the first session on Day 1 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
But Pakistan, on a few occasions could have gone two down as well, if it wasn't for luck coming to Shafique's rescue. Not once, but twice was he dropped, while on other the ball fell just short of the fielder at slip cordon. But his closest escape came in the sixth over of the innings when the ball hit the stumps, but the bails stayed intact.
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On the fifth ball of the over, left-arm pacer Marco Jansen bowled a fuller delivery that seamed in from outside off. Shafique looked to drive it on the up, but was beaten. The ball did not hit the inside edge as well, as it flew past the stump and went straight to the keeper. Upon review, the UltraEdge showed a spike, but when the ball was close to the stumps, but the bails didn't come off.
Earlier, Shafique, who was then yet to get off the mark, had survived in the opening over of the match, when he edged an outside-off delivery from Kagiso Rabada, that flew straight to Tristan Stubbs at third slip. The fielder got low to his right, got both hands to it, but the ball popped out. The other dropped opportunity happened in the 10th over, when Shafique shimmied out if the crease and looked to flick it against the turn of the delivery from Keshav Maharaj, but only got a leading edge. The ball carried to the left of the bowler, and he dived, git his hand to it, but it went through.
Pakistan head into the game with a 1-0 lead in the series, having defeated the visitors in Lahore. The hosts made just one change to the side as 39-year-old left-arm spinner Asif Afridi, who has served a six-month ban for spot-fixing, was handed his debut Test cap. He was picked in place of Abrar Ahmed to partner regular spinners, southpaw Noman Ali and off-spinner, Sajid Khan.
South Africa, on the other hand, strengthened their bowling line-up with the addition of Maharaj, who missed the first Test due to fitness issues. They also included Jansen in place of Wiaan Mulder.
