Second Test against South Africa delayed by rain

Heavy rain delayed the resumption of play in the post-tea session on the opening day of the second Test between Pakistan and South Africa on Thursday.

As players walked off the field at the tea break, it began to pour, with rain lashing the Rawalpindi stadium as groundsmen placed the covers on the pitch and adjoining area.

Play was due to resume at 3pm but persistent rain kept players in the dressing rooms.

Pakistan were 145-3 at the tea break with skipper Babar Azam and Fawad Alam on crease.

Babar hit an attractive 77 not out and Fawad a solid 42 to lift Pakistan to 145-3 at tea from a precarious 22-3 after the home team won the toss and batted on a flat, brownish Rawalpindi Stadium pitch.

Spinner Keshav Maharaj (2-51) and pacer Anrich Nortje (1-30) had left Pakistan struggling on 63-3 at lunch but Babar and Fawad added 123 for the unbroken fourth-wicket stand to steady the innings.

Babar, who managed just seven and 30 in the first Test, returned to his stylish best, having punched 12 boundaries in his 16th Test half-century.

Fawad, who scored a fighting hundred in the first Test, was steady with five hits to the fence.

Earlier, Pakistan, who won the toss and batted, reached 21 without loss before throwing away three wickets for one run in the space of 23 balls.

Maharaj, brought into the attack in just the ninth over, had opener Imran Butt caught behind for 15 and then trapped senior batsman Azhar Ali leg-before for nought in his next over.

Nortje then produced a sharp rising delivery to Abid Ali, (six) whose fended push was caught smartly at short-leg by Aiden Markram.

Pakistan lead the two-match series 1-0 after winning the first Test in Karachi by seven wickets.

Pakistan retained the playing XI which won the first Test by seven wickets inside four days at Karachi last week.

Babar, captaining Pakistan in his first Test series, said the wicket looked dry as the home team chases its first Test series victory against South Africa in 18 years. Pakistan last beat the Proteas at home in 2003.

"The wicket looks dry and we will try to put them under pressure by putting runs on board," Babar said at the toss. "We don't want to relax after taking the lead and will push for 2-0."

South Africa brought in fast bowling all-rounder Wiaan Mulder, who played two home Test matches against Sri Lanka. Mulder replaced Lungi Ngidi in the only change Proteas made from the first Test playing XI.

Quinton de Kock, who will step down from Test captaincy after the series, will be hoping his team would have learnt from the mistakes in the first Test.

The Proteas brought in two allrounders George Linde and Mulder to strengthen their batting lineup against the spin threat of Nauman and Shah.

Teams

Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Abid Ali, Imran Butt, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Rizwan, Nauman Ali, Yasir Shah, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi.

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (captain), Aiden Markram, Dean Elgar, Faf du Plessis, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Wiaan Mulder. Umpires: Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza, Pakistan.

TV umpire: Asif Yaqoob, Pakistan

Match referee: Mohammad Javed Malik, Pakistan.