Pakistan opener Abdullah Shafiq’s luck was smiling on Monday (October 20) as he survived several close calls on the first day of the ongoing second Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.
Captain Shan Masood won the toss and decided to bat first, after which Pakistan lost its first wicket in 13 overs. Imam-ul-Haq, who had scored 93 and 0 in the previous Test, got the start but could not last long and was out after scoring 17 runs.
Abdullah Shafiq survives nearly half a dozen close calls against South Africa
After this, Abdullah Shafiq and Masood ensured that Pakistan did not lose any more wickets before lunch. They made an unbeaten 60-run partnership for the second wicket as Pakistan ended the first session at 95/1.
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Both made a century partnership. The situation was finally resolved in the 51st over when Simon Harmer dismissed Abdullah Shafiq to take his second wicket of the day. Pakistan’s opening batsman was out after scoring 57 runs in 146 balls.
Abdullah Shafiq’s brilliant performance at the crease:
Before being dismissed, Abdullah Shafiq survived about half a dozen close calls. He was close to being dismissed in the very first over when he lofted Kagiso Rabada’s ball towards third slip but Tristan Stubbs missed a very easy chance.
Later in the sixth over, he was saved once again when Marco Jensen’s ball hit the stumps, but the bails did not fall. On the fifth ball of the over, Jensen’s ball passed Shafiq’s inside edge and kissed the stump, but the impact was not enough to dislodge the bails.
Abdullah Shafiq is very lucky man. Dropped to 0 and now the bails are not missed when the ball touches the stumps pic.twitter.com/tvcPSQl5tT
– Hassan Abbasian (@HassanAbbasian) 20 October 2025
He was saved again in the 10th over. Facing Keshav Maharaj, the Pakistan batsman used his legs to flick against the turn, but got an edge to the spinner’s left. The Proteas star dived to his left and the ball came into his hands, but he could not stop it.
The right-handed batsman continued his luck in the second session as well. In the 38th over, he once again missed the catch on Maharaj’s ball. He bowled a ball behind the stumps, where wicketkeeper Kyle Varenne went for the catch, but could only get the ball away with his gloves. The ball went towards Aiden Markram in the slips but he also failed to catch the ball.
This time when Verne was chasing him, he blew his gloves and at the last moment he dropped Markram.
Shafiq escaped for the fourth time
Looks like it’s going to be a great day pic.twitter.com/YQR64yNm2x
– Werner (@Werries_) 20 October 2025
Shafiq survived another close call in the 46th over. He was thoroughly beaten by Maharaj even after using his legs but could not reach the pitch of the ball. The ball spun rapidly and went past the Pakistani batsman on the outer edge. However, the South African wicketkeeper could not collect the ball to dismiss Shafiq.
South Africa’s troubles finally ended in the 51st over when Harmer had Shafiq caught on 57.
See here:
can’t really make it
3 drops
1 hit the stumps without falling off the bails
1 missed stumpingAll Abdullah Shafiq
Still, 100 run partnership pic.twitter.com/tWkoyuvX3x
– Werner (@Werries_) 20 October 2025
