Rizwan's ton helps set big victory target for SA

RAWALPINDI: George Linde's maiden Test five-wicket-haul followed by one of South Africa's best batting performances of their tour to Pakistan thus far helped them reach stumps on the fourth day of the second Test in an encouraging position in Rawalpindi on Sunday.

Opener Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen were at the heart of the action after sharing in an unbroken 94-run second-wicket partnership that took the Proteas to the close on 127 for one wicket chasing a fourth innings target of 370.

That left them needing a further 243 on the final day with nine wickets still in hand, an excellent position considering what had transpired earlier on the penultimate day when Mohammad Rizwan's first career century looked to have put the hosts out of sight.

Pakistan had started the morning finely placed on 129 for six and they fell into deeper trouble when Hasan Ali (5) was trapped leg before wicket by Keshav Maharaj (3/118) inside the first six overs.

But from 143/7, Rizwan spearheaded a remarkable recovery by first establishing a 53-run eighth-wicket stand with Yasir Shah (23) and then adding 97 alongside Nauman Ali (45) for the ninth wicket.

In the process, Rizwan went to three figures and in the end was left stranded on 115 off 204 balls as Linde eventually claimed the last wicket of Shaheen Afridi (4) to end with an impressive return of 5/64 in 26 overs.

Brief scores: Pakistan 272 & 298 (Mohammad Rizwan 115 not out, Nauman Ali 45; George Linde 5/64) vs South Africa 201 & 127/1 (Aiden Markram 59 batting, Rassie van der Dussen 48 batting; Shaheen Afridi 1/22). IANS

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