South Africa Dominates Day 1 against Pakistan in 2nd Test: Rickleton and Bavuma shine while PAK lose Ayub to injury

The Pakistan bowlers started strong, taking three wickets in quick succession in the morning. However, a resilient 235-run fourth-wicket partnership drained their energy. They could only manage to take one wicket after lunch, when Bavuma gave wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan his fourth catch of the innings.

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In a bigger blow for Pakistan, in-form batter Saim Ayub was ruled out of the test after twisting his right ankle in the field in only the seventh over of the game. He was taken to hospital for scans, and the Pakistan management said in a statement the scans were “sent to specialists in London for further advice on the treatment and time away from competitive cricket.”

Rickelton was promoted to opener after Tony de Zorzi was ruled out due to thigh strain. Rickelton profited on an ideal dry surface against a four-pronged Pakistan seam attack, striking 21 fours and a six.

He and Bavuma put on 112 runs in the middle session and Rickelton raised his second test century off 135 balls with his 14th boundary when he whipped Salman Ali Agha to the fine leg boundary just before tea.

Bavuma also waited patiently and capitalized on loose balls as he completed his first test century against Pakistan with a single to midwicket. He was dismissed shortly after. Bavuma hit nine fours and two sixes in his 179-ball knock.

South Africa won the first test inside four days at Centurion to reach its first WTC final, and started at Newlands by losing three quick wickets in the latter half of the first session after a promising start of 61.

Aiden Markram survived a close lbw off Mohammad Abbas' first ball and was dropped in the covers by Ayub's substitute Abdullah Shafique. Markram looked shaky for his 17 and gave an inside edge to Khurram Shahzad.

Wiaan Mulder, one of the three changes South Africa made from its Centurion XI, fell to Abbas when the seamer found a thick outside edge, and Salman got Tristan Stubbs caught behind for 0 in his first over.

But Rickelton completed his half-century in the last over before lunch in the company of Bavuma, and the pair dominated the rest of the day.

Kwena Maphaka was among the three changes by the Proteas and the fast bowler became the youngest South African to make his test debut at 18 years, 270 days. The previous youngest was Paul Adams, who was 18 years, 340 days, when he debuted in 1995 against England.

The home team, which has six successive test wins, opted to go with the express pace of Maphaka in place of Dane Paterson, who was dropped after picking up his second successive five-wicket haul at Centurion.

Corbin Bosch was also left out after making a stunning test debut in the first test where he took a wicket with his first ball and made a scintillating unbeaten half-century in the first innings which gave South Africa a match-winning lead of 90 runs.

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