In the second test of PAK vs SA, which started from October 20 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan was leading the game with a good score after their opener batter Abdullah Shafique and skipper Shan Masood scored fifties each in the very opening day. With the contribution of Shafique’s 57 runs off 146 balls, and Shan Masood’s 87 runs off 176 balls, Pakistan has the score of 259 runs at the loss of five wickets.
However, Pakistan’s score is expected to be bigger on the second day of the PAK vs SA test as Saud Shakeel is batting on 42 runs, along with Salman Agha who is on 10 runs, respectively.
PAK vs SA: Pakistan Leading the Game with Decent Score
Pakistan cricket team concluded the opening day of the PAK vs SA test on a high note, reaching 259 runs for 5 wickets at stumps in Rawalpindi. Following the 93 runs win against South Africa in the first test against South Africa, Pakistan started off the innings with a confident start after winning the toss.
Batting first in the PAK vs SA second test, the opener batters got a good start with Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq, building a slow and steady partnership. However, after 35 runs, Imam was dismissed by Simon Harmer on 17 runs, but the entry of the skipper Shan Masood turned out to be game changing for the hosts. Following the loss of the first wicket, the innings was based on a strong 111-run partnership between Shafique and Masood, where Masood made 87 runs, while Shafique made 57 runs, which gave a good start to Pakistan.
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South Africa Pay For Missed Opportunities :
The fielding did not please South Africa, who lost four open catches and three of them were against Shafique and the remaining one against Masood. They paid a price on these missed opportunities with the two batters going on to make valuable runs. South Africa failed to topple the advantage when it was needed the most, despite generating several half-chances and being ahead on several occasions.
In the case of South Africa, Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer were the most outstanding bowlers with two wickets each. The spin of Maharaj and the control of Harmer made the batters of Pakistan very careful, though the pressure was decreased by the absence of support provided by the fielders. Rabada also pitched well as he struck late in the day to remove Mohammad Rizwan on 19 runs with the old ball, playing the reverse swing to good effect.
PAKISTAN 259/5 after Day 1 🇵🇰
Shan Masood – 87
Abdullah Shafique – 57
Saud Shakeel and Agha Salman at the creaseA superb day of Test cricket for Pakistan! pic.twitter.com/vAZrRKBQ9p
— junaiz (@dhillow_) October 20, 2025
The batting strategy of Pakistan was tentative in the PAK vs SA second test, having a run rate less than three in an over, but they could hold wickets in reserve, which was a very important factor in a weakening pitch. Saud Shakeel was sensible, and contributed to the score without defeat, 42 runs, and will be on the second day with Salman Agha who is on 10 runs in 25 balls. The second day of the match will see Pakistan pushing past 350 runs, but it would be interesting to see how the South African bowlers will react to the situation offered to them.
Amit Mishra’s Perspective
The first day of the second day in the PAK vs SA test series clearly shows how the Pakistan team have dominated South Africa in every department. With 262 runs on the board with the loss of five wickets, Pakistan’s Saud Shakeel will look to go big on the second day who is on 45 runs off 110 balls. On the other hand, his partner Salman Agha will look to play the supporting role as he is on 11 runs at the end of the day 1.
Meanwhile, it will be a challenging job for South African bowlers as they are under pressure with such big scores on the board. They will be looking to pick early wickets as soon as possible and wrap Pakistan’s innings.
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