Pakistan’s star player, Mohammad Rizwan, caused a brief moment of concern for the team when he was struck on the shoulder by a sharp bouncer from South African pacer Marco Jansen. Rizwan, who had just come to the crease, was facing a dangerous situation as Pakistan found themselves in trouble against a dominant South African bowling attack. Despite his best efforts to avoid the delivery, it was too quick for him, and the ball hit him on his left shoulder, leaving him in visible discomfort.
Rizwan had joined Babar Azam at the crease, and together, they began to rebuild the innings. The two were steadily taking the attack to the opposition, with Rizwan showing resilience after surviving the early onslaught. However, the partnership was broken when Babar Azam was dismissed for 50, falling to a well-executed delivery. Rizwan, on the other hand, seemed to be settling in and played aggressively, especially after weathering the storm early on. Yet, the blow from Jansen was a setback, and despite his discomfort, he continued his innings.
As Rizwan looked poised to reach a half-century, his innings came to an abrupt end. Just four runs shy of the milestone, Mohammad Rizwan played an unnecessary shot, attempting to force the pace, and ended up getting bowled out. The reckless shot saw him lose his wicket, leaving Pakistan further in trouble.
Rizwan’s dismissal, along with Babar’s earlier exit, triggered a collapse in the Pakistan batting lineup, which has now lost six wickets. The team is staring at a heavy defeat, with the follow-on looming, as they still need 261 runs to avoid it and keep their hopes alive.
