Masood’s assertiveness gave Pakistan the upper hand in the first session, with the left-hander using his feet well against the spinners to launch a couple of sixes, while his play off the backfoot was equally authoritative.
Between the chances missed and bowlers again struggling to find rhythm SA grew gradually annoyed, knowing that, already disadvantaged by not having the toss go their way, they allowed the opposition to gain the ascendancy too easily.
Simon Harmer was the only bowler to achieve success in the morning producing a peach to dismiss Imam ul-Haq in his first over.
Given that his confidence would have been high after taking 11 wickets in the first Test, it was strange that Senuran Muthusamy only bowled four overs on the first day, the same number as Markram.
Instead it was Maharaj who did the bulk of the bowling, finishing with 2/63 in 31 overs. After Harmer snared Shafique, caught down the leg-side by Verreynne for 57, Maharaj then had Babar Azam, who’d struck four boundaries, magnificently caught by Tony de Zorzi at silly point.
It was another for the De Zorzi collection of stunning close in catches, this one a diving effort to his right, where he hung onto the ball with one hand.
