Pakistan Continues to Push Past Milestones Against South Africa

Pakistan's tour of South Africa has been marked by significant milestones, including the historic opening partnership between Babar Azam and Shan Masood that shattered a 15-year-old record in the second Test.

Babar Azam will return to the crease after a welcome breather, as he awaits his teammate Saim Ayub to recover from a 6-week injury. The opportunity, however, also provided Babar with a chance to make history alongside Shan Masood, as the duo established the highest opening partnership for Pakistan in a Test match with 140 runs. This incredible feat surpassed the previous record of 133 runs set by Yasir Hameed and Younis Khan.

The match provided Babar Azam with a phenomenal platform to showcase his batting prowess, scoring 59 not out against South Africa. His half-century, his 28th in Test cricket, is his highest since December 2022 and came from 127 balls at a brisk rate. Babar's knock of 58 runs propelled him closer to the 2,000-mark in away Test runs and highlighted his growing ascendancy to be a force to be reckoned with on the cricketing circuit.

Babar Azam has taken 56-run partnership partnership with Mohammad Rizwan who, however, was dismissed soon after. But his contributions have put Pakistan in a fighting position with a prayer of competing strongly in the match.

The second Test match between Pakistan and South Africa is expected to go down the wire, with both teams showing resilience and determination to-move forward. The Pakistani cricket team is pushing the boundaries with each match, continues their tour with high hopes of lifting the series.