Pakistan opener Abdullah Shafique, on Monday (October 20), had luck smiling on him as he survived numerous close calls on day one of the ongoing second Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.
After captain Shan Masood won the toss and opted to bat first, Pakistan lost their first wicket inside 13 overs. Imam-ul-Haq, who had scored 93 and 0 in the previous Test, got the start but could not last long as he departed for 17 runs.
Abdullah Shafique Survives Nearly Half A Dozen Close Calls Against South Africa
Abdullah Shafique and Masood then made sure that Pakistan did not lose any more wicket before lunch. They shared an unbeaten 60-run stand for the second wicket as Pakistan ended the first session on 95/1.
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The duo went on to share their partnership for a century. The stand finally came to an end in the 51st over when Simon Harmer dismissed Abdullah Shafique to pick his second wicket of the day. The Pakistan opener departed after scoring 57 runs off 146 balls.
Abdullah Shafique’s eventful stay at the crease:
Before being dismissed, Abdullah Shafique survived nearly half a dozen close calls. He was close to getting dismissed in the very first over when he edged Kagiso Rabada’s delivery towards third slip but Tristan Stubbs dropped a fairly easy chance.
Later in the sixth over, he survived once again when Marco Jansen’s delivery hit the stumps, but the bails did not come off. On the fifth delivery of the over, Jansen’s delivery beat Shafique’s inside edge and kissed the stump, but the impact was not enough to dislodge the bails.
Abdullah Shafique is so lucky mannn. Got dropped on 0 and now the bails didn’t come off when the ball touches the stumps pic.twitter.com/tvcPSQl5tT
— Hassan Abbasian (@HassanAbbasian) October 20, 2025
He survived again in the 10th over. Facing Keshav Maharaj, the Pakistan batter used his feet to flick against the turn but ended up getting a leading edge to the left of the spinner. The Proteas star dived to his left and got his hands on the ball, but could not hold it.
The right-handed batsman rode his luck in the second session too. In the 38th over, he was dropped again off Maharaj’s bowling. He edged a ball behind the stumps, where wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne went for the catch but could only deflect the ball off his gloves. The ball went towards Aiden Markram at slip but he too failed to grab the ball.
This time it flicks Verreynne’s glove as he follows it and it throws Markram off at the last moment
4th time Shafique escapes
Looks like this will be a loooong day pic.twitter.com/YQR64yNm2x
— Werner (@Werries_) October 20, 2025
Shafique survived another close call in the 46th over. He was beaten all ends up by Maharaj after he used his feet but could not get to the pitch of the ball. The ball spun away sharply and beat the Pakistan batter on the outside edge. However, the South Africa wicketkeeper could not collect the ball to dismiss Shafique.
South Africa’s misery finally ended in the 51st over when Harmer had Shafique caught behind for 57.
Watch here:
Really can’t make this up
3 drops
1 hit the stumps without the bails falling
1 missed stumpingAll Abdullah Shafique
Yet, a 100-run partnership pic.twitter.com/tWkoyuvX3x
— Werner (@Werries_) October 20, 2025
