South African openers Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton gave the hosts a steady start, reaching 27 without loss in six overs. However, drama unfolded in the seventh over when Ryan Rickelton edged a Mohammad Abbas delivery along the ground toward the boundary.
A huge blow for Pakistan as Saim Ayub goes off the field in pain after hurting his right leg in the field.#SAvPAK | #PakistanCricket pic.twitter.com/HMRF4qcVEV
— Grassroots Cricket (@grassrootscric) January 3, 2025
The left-handed batter’s right ankle was strapped, leaving him writhing in pain on the field. Aamer Jamal and Babar Azam rushed to help the 22-year-old opener as the Pakistan team physio attended the injured batter on the field in Cape Town.
Ayub was unable to continue, as the young Pakistan opener required help from his teammates to leave the field before being carried away on a stretcher with his ankle heavily bandaged. The severity of the injury is yet to be determined, leaving questions about whether Ayub will return for the remainder of the ongoing New Year’s Test against South Africa.
Watch Saim Ayub stretchered off the field:
— rohitkohlirocks@123@ (@21OneTwo34) January 3, 2025
Ayub followed it up with impressive performances in the ODI series, scoring 109, 25, and 101 in three matches. In the first Test, Ayub scored 14 and 27 and claimed a wicket against the Proteas side. Speaking about the match, South Africa started strong after choosing to bat first, but Pakistan made an impressive comeback in the latter part of the session.
New Year's Test Story So Far in Cape Town
The new-ball bowlers didn’t find much swing, but there was some movement off the pitch. Mohammad Abbas stood out with his consistent line and length, keeping the pressure on the batters, while Mir Hamza struggled with his accuracy, delivering a few loose balls that allowed Ryan Rickelton (58*) to settle in with the bat in Cape Town.
Mohammad Abbas capitalized on this and forced an edge, resulting in Mulder's dismissal for just five runs. Just before lunch, Tristan Stubbs nicked one to Agha Salman, ending South Africa’s session on a sour note, as the hosts are currently reeling at 72/3 against Pakistan in the ongoing second Test.
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