JOHANNESBURG - Another needless run out proved costly for South Africa, just as Temba Bavuma and Wiaan Mulder were starting to assert themselves on day three of the second Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Saturday.
Mulder, who was batting beautifully against spin and pace, with a lofted off drive for six against Yasir Shah the highlight of the morning, ran himself out, much to coach Mark Boucher and no doubt the rest of the Proteas team’s anguish.
Mulder and Bavuma had put on exactly 50 runs in a fifth wicket partnership that was carefully constructed and contained some lovely strokeplay.
ALSO READ: Anrich Nortje: Third Test five-for made more special because it was in the subcontinent
It was an ill-judged call for a second run by the young all-rounder, who had absorbed and then reverted pressure smartly back onto Pakistan. Mulder had clipped the ball off his legs to fine, but then turned at the non-strikers end without looking at the fielder - Shaheen Afridi, who claimed a clean pick up and then delievered a flat, hard and accurate throw over the top of the stumps, with wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan breaking the stumps, with Mulder a metre short of his ground.
Boucher, who said spoke before the match about the two run outs in the first innings in Karachi being costly, could only hide his head in his hands.
Mulder’s 33, was fine knock, that included three forus and a six, but given how he’d started, it really should have been turned into something far more substantial.
The wicket of George Linde 20 minutes later - after a lively innings of 21 - ensured the morning session belonged emphatically to the home team. South Africa went to lunch at 188/7 with Bavuma on 36 and Keshav Maharaj still to get off the mark. The Proteas still trail Pakistan by 84 runs.
Earlier, Quinton de Kock’s aggressive innings came to a quick end. Having raced to 24 off just 11 balls, in near darkness on Friday evening - amidst a fury of reverse slaps against the spinners - De Kock kept that intent on Saturday, but was too loose against a ball slanting into him from Shaheen with the ball crashing into his stumps via an inside edge. The South Africa skipper added just five runs to his overnight score, with his innings lasting a total of 20 balls in which he hit five boundaries.
Bavuma was more circumspect and in Mulder found a partner who provided excellent support - until that run out.