CAPE TOWN: In the second and final Test match of the series against South Africa, Pakistan’s batsmen Babar Azam and Shan Masood set a new world record for their partnership.
The final match of the two-Test series between Pakistan and South Africa is ongoing in Cape Town. In the first innings, Pakistan’s team was dismissed for 194 runs in response to South Africa’s 615, and they were forced to follow on.
However, in the second innings, Pakistan’s batting line-up steadied. Captain Shan Masood and Babar Azam formed a 205-run partnership for the first wicket, making a strong comeback effort.
At the end of the third day, Shan Masood was unbeaten on 102 and Khurram Shehzad was on 8. The team’s total score, with one wicket down, stood at 213 runs. Babar Azam was dismissed for 81, and South Africa still holds a 208-run lead.
The Pakistani batsmen, Shan Masood and Babar Azam, set a new record for the largest partnership in Test cricket history by a team that was forced to follow on. Their 205-run opening partnership in the second innings is the second-largest opening partnership in Test cricket history for a team that was put in to follow on.
In addition, Shan and Babar’s partnership is the largest opening partnership for Pakistan in Test cricket on South African soil. Previously, in 1998, Saeed Anwar and Aamir Sohail had shared a 101-run opening partnership against South Africa at the same ground. It is worth noting that South Africa holds a 1-0 lead in the series against Pakistan and has already qualified for the ICC Test Championship Final
