Rawalpindi is the venue for the second and final test match between Pakistan and South Africa, the game gets under way on Monday and Pakistan lead the series 1-0
This is a two match series which will be followed by 3 x T20's and 3 x ODI's.
The first test was staged in Lahore last week and Pakistan came out on top by 93 runs. Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first and they posted 378 with the main contributions coming from Imam-ul-Haq and Salman Agha (both 93) along with Masood (76) and Rizwan (75). Senuran Muthusamy took 6 wickets.
The Proteas replied with 269 with de Zorzi top scoring with 1104 and Rickleton made 71. Noamn Ali took 6 wickets.
Pakistan were all out for 167 in their second innings which saw Muthusamy pick up 5 more wickets. That left the door ajar for the Proteas but it was still a tough ask and Brevis was the only man to make it past 50 in the final innings which closed on 183. Noman Ali took another 4 wickets and was named Man of the Match.
This was how the teams lined up in the first test.
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan
South Africa: Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Aiden Markram (c), Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Senuran Muthusamy, Prenelan Subrayen, Kagiso Rabada, Simon Harmer
Pakistan Recent Form
Pakistan's most recent test match action came in January this year and they drew 1-1 at home to West Indies, winning the first match by 127 runs and losing the second by 120 runs.
A 2 match series against the Proteas in South Africa over Xmas and New Year saw Pakistan lose both matches, by 2 wickets at Centurion and 10 wickets in Cape Town.
Pakistan were 2-1 winners at home to England in October last year, recovering from losing the first test (innings and 47 runs) with 2 comfortable wins (152 runs and 9 wickets).
South Africa Recent Form
South Africa completed 2 landslide wins over Zimbabwe in July which came on the back of their finest test match achievement, a 5 wicket win over Australia in the final of the World Test Championship at Lords.
The aformentioned home series against Pakistan either side of the new year saw the Proteas win the first match by 2 wickets and the second by 10 wickets.
In November / December South Africa won both test matches at home to Sri Lanka, coming out on top by margins of 233 runs and 109 runs. A tour of Bangladesh in October saw South Africa win both tests, the first by 7 wickets and the second by an innings and 273 runs. In August they drew the first of 2 tests in the West Indies and then won the second by 40 runs.
Recent Head to Head
Aside from South Africa's 2-0 home series win at the turn of this year the Proteas last toured Pakistan, in Jan / Feb 2021 they lost by 7 wickets in Karachi and by 95 runs in Rawalpindi
The Betting
At the time of writing Pakistan are 13/20 to win with the draw at 9/1 and South Africa can be backed at 14/10 with Sportingbet
Prices subject to change
The Verdict
The spinners were well on top in the first test and we might well have a similar pitch here. Maharaj missed the first test but is expected to return and he could well be the answer in the SA Top 1st Innings Bowler market.
Another price boost to take the eye is for Babar Azam to top score for Pakistan in the first innings.
Bet: Top SA 1st Innings Bowler, Keshav Maharaj, was 9/4 now 3/1 with Sportingbet
Top Pakistan 1st Innings Run Scorer, Babar Azam was 4/1 now 11/2 with Sportingbet