PLAYS OF DAY 2 SA VS PAKISTAN

SHOT - Temba Bavuma’s cover drive is truly a thing of beauty. He doesn’t hit the ball so much as caress the thing. That shot was a feature of his innings of 53, whether against Yasir Shah’s leg-spin or the pace of Afridi, Amir and Hasan. In what is now a characteristic feature of his Test career, Bavuma’s runs came with his side in trouble. Having arrived at the crease after his side had lost 3 for 1 in 11 balls on Wednesday, it was the stability Bavuma provided that allowed South Africa to eke out a lead on the first innings.

THE EXTRA BALL - Olivier overcooked a bouncer with the fourth ball of his third over, which flew over Zaman’s head. Usually the extra ball in an over is a pain in the backside for the fielding team, not so for Olivier, who bowled a leg-stump half volley, that Zaman lifted straight to the only man fielding behind square on the leg-side.

RABADA BALL - Babar Azam played instinctively in the first innings to give his side a foothold in the game. Yesterday however there was to be no repeat; good fielding and stumpto-stump bowling had pinned Babar at one end in that Rabada over, and the last ball was a beauty, it pitched on the line of middle stump, moved away from the right hander at pace and smashed into Babar’s off stump.

CATCH - Lovely tumbling catch from Rabada after an awful attempt at a pull from Azhar Ali. Rabada moved smartly towards the ball from mid-on and dived forward snatching the ball just above the grass.

HERO - The prevailing theory in Pakistan’s very lively cricket media scene is that Imam ul-Haq only has a spot in the side because his more famous uncle is the chairman of selectors. A first class average of 34 does not a Test player suggest. But here he is into his eighth Test, and while he rode his luck yesterday, he also stood strong amidst some aggressive spells from South Africa’s quicks - he hooked and pulled fearlessly - to register an important half-century which helped put his side in front. VILLAIN - After the SABC’s COO Chris Maroleng had boasted - on numerous occasions - about the example Cricket SA had set in agreeing to a broadcast deal with the corporation to show the Mzansi Super League, it is ironic that the SABC could only send a skeleton crew to cover the first Test at SuperSport Park. Just three TV commentators and a producer are at the venue, while the remainder of the match is being broadcast from the dungeons at Auckland Park. It is alleged that the SABC couldn’t afford to pay for the links at the venue and thus they’re doing the majority of the commentary 55km away from the venue. It’s a damning indictment of the wasteful spending that has undermined that parastatal’s ability to its job. CONDITIONS - Extremely hot once again. The pitch seems to have settled although there is still plenty in it for the quicks as Afridi and Rabada showed. Olivier was still thumping the ball into the surface and getting bounce out of it, although worryingly for the home team, a couple of deliveries have actually ‘rolled’ past the bat. The fourth innings chase will not be easy.