South Africa resisted Pakistan’s momentum to strike twice in the afternoon session of the second Test on Monday at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Resuming on 95 for 1 after 30 overs, Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique kept the scoreboard ticking with a positive approach, carrying the hosts past the 100 mark.
Masood anchored the stand to reach his 13th Test fifty, while Shafique, after a slow start in the series opener, offered a composed supporting hand.
The pair added 111 runs for the second wicket, putting pressure on the South African bowlers. Shafique went on to register his sixth Test fifty as Pakistan reached 146-1 in 50.5 overs.
The breakthrough finally came when Harmer dismissed Abdullah for 57 off 146 balls, which included four boundaries, ending the important partnership.
Babar Azam then joined Masood at the crease and got off to a steady start, keeping the scoreboard ticking.
However, the duo added only 21 runs for the third wicket before Babar was dismissed for 16 off 22 balls by Keshav Maharaj, leaving Pakistan at 167-3 in 56 overs.
At tea, Pakistan are 177-3 in 62 overs, with Shan Masood unbeaten on 77 off 144 deliveries and Saud Shakeel on six off 25 balls.
Earlier, the hosts began confidently as Imam and Abdullah Shafique added quick runs, finding boundaries with ease and keeping the scoreboard ticking in the morning session.
The pair looked set for a solid opening stand before Imam was clean bowled by spinner Simon Harmer for 17 off 35 balls, including two fours, ending a 35-run partnership in the 13th over.
Abdullah Shafique continued to bat positively, mixing aggression with composure to keep the pressure on the Proteas bowlers.
Captain Shan Masood then joined Shafique at the crease and immediately made his presence felt, smashing two towering sixes to relieve the pressure as Pakistan reached 65-1 after 20 overs.
The duo brought up a 50-run stand in the 25th over, both growing in confidence and eyeing a strong first-innings total as lunch approached.
The hosts are leading the series against the defending champions 1-0 after securing a 93-run victory in the Lahore Test, led by Noman Ali, who picked up a 10-wicket haul in the match.
Pakistan made one change as 38-year-old Asif Afridi replaced pacer Hasan Ali to make his debut for Pakistan, while South Africa brought Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj in their playing XI.
Following the red-ball series, the two teams will also feature in One Day International (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) series.
The three-match T20I series will kick off on October 28 and culminate on November 1. The opening game will be staged in Rawalpindi, while the remaining two will be played at Gaddafi Stadium.
The tour will wrap up with a three-match ODI series, scheduled from November 4 to 8, with all games to be held at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad.
Playing XIs:
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha, Shaheen Afridi, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, and Asif Afridi.
South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Ryan Rickelton (wk), Tristan Stubbs, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Kyle Verreynne, Senuran Muthusamy, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, and Kagiso Rabada.
