Rabada hits first test 50 to lead South Africa's comeback vs Pakistan after Asif Afridi's record day

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RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) — The No. 11 batter Kagiso Rabada and Senuran Muthusamy hit career-best half-centuries as South Africa scripted one of its most memorable comebacks to dominate Pakistan on Day 3 of the second and final test.

South Africa was all out Wednesday for 404 in its first innings — having resumed on 185-4 and being reduced to 235-8 and 306-9 — to take a 71-run lead. Pakistan's left-arm spinner Asif Afridi claimed six wickets and became the oldest bowler in test cricket to grab a five-wicket haul in his debut test at the age of 38.

Pakistan collapsed to 94-4 in its second innings at stumps. Off-spinner Simon Harmer took 3-26 and Rabada had Abdullah Shafique caught in the slips cordon in his incisive opening spell with the new ball.

Babar Azam, who hasn’t scored an international century in more than two years, is 49 not out and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan undefeated on 16 as the pair led Pakistan's resistance.

South Africa earlier fought back in a match where Pakistan had won the important toss on a spinning wicket.

Afridi (6-79) had put Pakistan in sight of a meaningful first-innings lead before the home team ran into Muthusamy and Rabada’s electrifying 98-run last wicket stand.

Muthusamy made an unbeaten 89 off 155 balls and Rabada smashed four sixes and four boundaries in his belligerent 71 off 61 as the Proteas bid to level the two-match series.

Afridi’s five-wicket haul saw World Test Championship winner South Africa slipping to 221-7 in 80 overs before Pakistan’s ploy to finish off the innings with the second new ball misfired badly.

Muthusamy cut Pakistan's lead to 27 when he shared a 71-run ninth-wicket stand with Keshav Maharaj, who gave at least three chances and went on to score 30. Rabada blunted the pace of Shaheen Shah Afridi and the spinners with his first test 50.

It was only the second time in test matches that both the ninth and 10th wickets shared partnerships of 50-plus in a test innings.

South Africa went to lunch 48 runs behind with two wickets in hand, but Muthusamy swept and reverse swept against the spinners with ease and Rabada didn’t spare the bowlers before he holed out to long-on at the stroke of tea that ended a superb counterattack from South Africa.

Asid Afridi became only the sixth Pakistani spinner after Mohammad Nazir, Shahid Afridi, Bilal Asif, Noman Ali and Abrar Ahmed to grab a five-wicket haul in a debut test after South Africa resumed on 185-4.

In doing so, he beat the test record set by England legspinner Charles Marriott, who returned 5-37 on debut against West Indies in 1933 at the age of 37.

“I never lost hope to play (test cricket) after performing consistently in domestic cricket,” Afridi said. “I kept the plan simple and deceived the batters from straight deliveries. If we set up a target of 170-plus, we will win the match. We have two set batters in and we might even take a 200-plus lead which will be difficult for them to chase it down on this pitch.”

Afridi’s sliders baffled the South Africa batters as he struck on the fourth ball of the day, finding the outside edge of Kyle Verreynne’s (10) bat.

Tristan Stubbs (76) added eight to his overnight 68 before he was undone by another straight delivery as he tried to flick the left-arm spinner off the back foot and was out leg before wicket.

Afridi then celebrated his memorable five-wicket haul when Harmer (2) went for a sweep but was struck on the back leg directly in front of the stumps.

Pakistan took the second new ball and Noman Ali finally got his first wicket when he had Marco Jansen lbw.

Pakistan leads the two-match series after a win in Lahore last week.

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