PAK vs SA | Twitter and Rizwan in splits as Marco Jansen outsmarts Asif Afridi with clever leave

‌An excellent rearguard action from the South African lower order saw them recover from a precarious 210/7 to take a first-innings lead of 71 against Pakistan in the second Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Contrasting half-centuries from Senuran Muthusamy and Kagiso Rabada saw the Proteas put on 404 against the home side’s 333.

Marco Jansen also tried to play his part as he added a 25-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Muthusamy. The all-rounder scored 12 from 26 balls but grabbed eyeballs during his innings for his excellent presence of mind.

With the left-arm spin duo of Asif Afridi and Noman Ali keeping things tight with their consistent line and length, Jansen tried to break Afridi’s rhythm as he tried to step down the track for a big hit in the 80th over. But Afridi was quick to shorten his length as he bowled outside the arc of a charging Jansen.

Any other batter would have bit the dust, but the tall Jansen used the height to his advantage as he left the ball immediately before putting his bat back inside the crease. Wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan was surprised as he found the batter home before he whipped off the bails.

Rizwan could not help but turn away in frustration as he pointed at the batter with a wide grin. Meanwhile, Afridi was still figuring out how the batter made his ground after advancing this far. Twitter was in splits as Jansen put his giant stature to excellent use.