Pakistan’s Abdullah Shafique survived many close calls on Monday (October 20), one of the ongoing second Test against Pakistan in the day.
First after the toss after captain Shan Masood was shaken, Pakistan lost their first wicket in 13 overs. Imam-ul-Haq, who scored 93 and 0 in the previous Test, started but could not last long as he went for 17 runs.
Abdullah Shafique has nearly a dozen calls against South Africa
Abdullah Shafique and Masood then ensured that Pakistan did not lose more wickets before lunch. They shared an unbeaten 60-run stand for the second wicket as Pakistan ended the first session at 95/1.
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The duo went on to share a partnership for a century. Simon Harmer ended on 51 standing for Abdullah Shafique to pick his second wicket of the day. The Pakistan opener departed after scoring 57 off 146 balls.
Abdullah Shafique’s stay in the provocation incident:
Abdullah Shafique survived about half a close call before being fired. Kagiso was close to being dismissed for the first time when Rabada was delivered towards third slip and Tristan Stubbs fell to a fairly easy chance.
Later, he survived again when Marco Jansen’s assist hit the stumps, but he didn’t take a bail. Already, on the fifth delivery of Jansen’s delivery, he beat Shafique’s inside edge and kissed the off-stump, but he made an impact to clear the shots.
Abdullah Shafique is very lucky. Got down to 0 and now the ball didn’t take the bail when it touched the stumps pic.twitter.com/tvcpsql5tt
– Hassan Abbasian (@hassanabbasian) October 20, 2025
He survived again on the 10th. Facing Keshav Maharaj, the Pakistani bowler used his leg to turn leg but ended up taking a leading edge to the left of the spinner. The Proteas star survived to the left and got his hands on the ball but couldn’t hold it.
The right-handed batsman took his chances in the second session as well. In the 38th over, he was dismissed again off the bowling of Maharaj. Wicketeeper Kyle Verreynne went for the catch, but left a ball wide of his stumps where he could only get the ball out of his gloves. The ball went to Aiden Markram at the slip, but he couldn’t get the ball either.
This time, Verreynne’s glove flaps as he watches, and at the last moment, he drops the markram
4th time Shafique runs
Looks like it’s going to be a loooong day pic.twitter.com/yqr64ynm2x
– Werner (@werries_) October 20, 2025
Shafique escaped another close call in the 46th. After using his legs, he hit all ends of Maharaj but failed to reach the pitch of the ball. The ball went sharply away and beat the fruit on the outside edge of Pakistan. But the South African wicketeeper failed to collect the ball to dismiss Shafique.
South Africa’s misery finally ended in the 51st over when Shafique’s 57 was seemingly left behind.
See here:
Can’t really do that
3 drops
He hit the stumps without 1 bail
1 Omitted ChangedAll Abdullah Shafique
Again, a partnership that works 100 pic.twitter.com/twkoyuvx3x
– Werner (@werries_) October 20, 2025
