With a Pakistan fightback slowly gaining momentum within the New Yr’s Check at Newlands, tempers flared when South Afrcia seamer Wiaan Mulder and Babar Azam got here up in opposition to one another on Sunday in Cape City.
After racking up a mammoth 615 and wiping out Pakistan for 194, the Proteas enforced the follow-on earlier than skipper Shan Masood and Babar placed on a riposte for the guests. As Babar constructed on his first-innings half-century with one other measured knock, Pakistan acquired themselves to a stable begin with the duo placing on the very best opening stand for the aspect in Exams in opposition to South Africa. The pair surpassed the earlier better of 137 between Imran Farhat and Taufeeq Umar for the primary wicket in opposition to the Proteas in Faisalabad in 2003.
Nevertheless, Mulder was the primary to lose his nerve when he got here up in opposition to a nonchalant Babar within the thirty second over of Pakistan’s follow-on. After the 30-year-old Babar drove a ball again to the pacer, a pissed off Mulder quickly grabbed the ball in his follow-through and hurled the ball again in direction of the batter. Babar was hit on the foot with an inaccurate throw from Mulder that was far out from the stumps.
Battle second between Babar Azam and Wiaan Mulder. 🥵
Wiaan Mulder pointless throws the ball at Babar Azam & exhibiting him verbal aggression. #BabarAzam #PAKvsSA #SAvPAK pic.twitter.com/PZnPNTWELZ
— Ahtasham Riaz (@ahtashamriaz22) January 5, 2025
It was, nevertheless, famous that Babar was out from the crease partially with wicket-keeper Kyle Verreyne even cheekily tried an Alex Carey-Jonny Bairstow-like run-out after amassing the ball from behind the stumps.
Mulder and Babar quickly exchanged phrases earlier than Masood, Aiden Markram and the umpires had been concerned to diffuse the stress. “You had been out of your crease!” Mulder was heard as saying on the stump mic, supposedly explaing the explanation behind his throw.
Together with his second fifty of the innings, Babar would assist Pakistan diminished the deficit significantly along with his 204-run stand with Masood. Opening the innings for the primary time in his profession, changing the injured Saim Ayub in each innings, Babar ultimately fell on 81 to Marco Jansen. The previous Pakistan captain has now prolonged his century-less run in Exams to 495 days.
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