Shan Masood, Babar Azam Lead Pakistan Resurgence

In a remarkable fightback during the second Test at Newlands, Pakistan's Shan Masood and Babar Azam established a record opening partnership of 205 runs after facing a daunting 421-run first innings deficit. By the end of day three, Pakistan reached 213 for one in their follow-on innings, still needing 208 runs to force South Africa to bat again. Masood scored an unbeaten 102, marking his sixth Test century and his first against South Africa, while Babar contributed 81 runs before being dismissed just prior to stumps. This partnership surpassed Pakistan's first innings total of 194, which led to South Africa enforcing the follow-on. Babar's previous innings included a score of 58, and his dismissal triggered a collapse in Pakistan's first innings where they struggled against South Africa's bowling attack, which had posted 615 runs in their first innings. The duo's strong performance demonstrated that the pitch presented no significant challenges, giving Pakistan hope moving into the fourth day of the match.