PAK vs SA 2nd Test: The second and final Test between Pakistan and South Africa is perfectly poised heading into Day 4, with the visitors holding a strong upper hand after a remarkable turnaround on Day 3
in Rawalpindi.
What seemed like a potential collapse turned into one of South Africa's finest lower-order fightbacks, thanks to brilliant half-centuries from No. 11 Kagiso Rabada and Senuran Muthusamy. Their partnership helped the Proteas post a commanding 404 after resuming from an overnight score of 185/4, earning them a valuable 71-run first-innings lead.
Rabada and Muthusamy's resilience frustrated the Pakistan bowlers, especially after Asif Afridi had threatened to wrap things up early. Afridi's 6-wicket haul was the standout effort from Pakistan's attack, making him the oldest debutant in Test history to claim a five-wicket haul at 38. However, his heroics couldn't prevent South Africa from seizing the initiative.
Pakistan's second innings got off to a disastrous start under testing conditions. By stumps, they had stumbled to 94/4, still trailing by 23 runs with six wickets in hand. Openers once again failed to deliver, while middle-order batters struggled to counter South Africa's disciplined bowling. Off-spinner Simon Harmer's 3/26 tightened the screws, while Rabada's early strike set the tone by removing Abdullah Shafique cheaply.
Heading into Day 4, the hosts will need a massive effort from their experienced campaigners - Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel - to salvage the innings and give their bowlers a target to defend. For South Africa, another productive session could all but seal the match and the series. With the pitch offering variable bounce and turn, Day 4 promises an enthralling battle of patience, skill, and temperament between bat and ball.
Pakistan vs South Africa 2nd Test Session Timings, Day 4: What are the Session Times in India and Pakistan?
Play on Day 4 is scheduled to resume at 10:30 AM IST/10:00 AM PKT. The day's proceedings are expected to go on until 5:30 PM IST/5:00 PM PKT in the evening.
| Item | Start (IST) | End (IST) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st session | 10:30 AM (10:00 AM PKT) | 12:30 PM (12:00 PM PKT) | 2 hours |
| Lunch | 12:30 PM (12:00 PM PKT) | 1:10 PM (12:40 PM PKT) | 40 minutes |
| 2nd session | 1:10 PM (12:40 PM PKT) | 3:10 PM (2:40 PM PKT) | 2 hours |
| Tea | 3:10 PM (2:40 PM PKT) | 3:30 PM (3:00 PM PKT) | 20 minutes |
| 3rd session | 3:30 PM (3:00 PM PKT) | 5:30 PM (5:00 PM PKT) | 2 hours |
Note: All times shown are in Indian Standard Time (IST, UTC+5:30) with corresponding Pakistan Standard Time (PKT, UTC+5:00) mentioned in brackets.
