Published - | Updated - January 4, 2025 03:46 pm
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South Africa vs Pakistan Test Match:
Opener Ryan Rickelton will be looking for his first big hundred as South Africa resume their fightback from 316/4 on the second day against Pakistan in Cape Town. Captain Temba Bavuma’s 106-run century off 179 balls helped Rickelton put South Africa in a strong position on the first day. The duo shared a 235 partnership which gave no respite to the Pakistan combined unit.
The first centuries that Temba Bavuma and Ryan Rickelton scored in Durban and Gqebarha this summer were a relief. Temba Bavuma had returned from an elbow injury before Kingsmead, had no red ball match practice before the Test and only two Test centuries after a decade in the game. Rickelton had played eight Tests before St George’s Park with a highest score of 42 and had shown little sign that he could translate his domestic dominance into international success.
So these centuries, Bavuma’s fourth and Rickelton’s second, were full of joy according to Rickelton because I played the game the way I wanted to play it.
South Africa were in a bit of trouble after losing 3 wickets for 72 runs at lunch but confirmed their participation in the World Test Championship (WTC) final to be held in June after a two-wicket win at SuperSport Park. They were helped by one of the flattest pitches seen in recent times at this ground and to make up for last year’s mistake when the Test match ended in 107 overs and also helped by a disappointing Pakistan attack that lacked real pace.
Rickelton was opening in Tests for the first time after spending most of his short career. After being promoted to No. 3 in Gqeberha said that he prefers playing with the new ball because it improves his game and he also has some experience of opening at the domestic level. So he was a natural replacement for Tony De Zorzi who was injured but came in knowing this was the only place for him.
Bavuma also came to the crease with conviction. Although he was the highest run-scorer in the series against Sri Lanka, his dismissal at SuperSport Park was so tragic that he walked off Mohammad Abbas without getting out and almost cost South Africa the match.
Bavuma then spoke movingly about being denounced and ridiculed for playing the 2023 ODI World Cup semifinal with a hamstring injury and struggling with two heavily bandaged elbows this summer. He was not bothered by it in this innings but he suffered shin splints as he entered the 90s and asked Rickelton to take the old man out.
