South Africa on top of Pakistan in Boxing Day Test
What's the story
South Africa will be a happy unit after being ahead of Pakistan on Day 1 of the first Test in Centurion.
Pakistan perished for a score of 211 runs after being asked to bat.
Dane Paterson led the charge for SA with 5/61. Debutant Corbin Bosch managed 4/63.
In response, the Proteas are 82/3 at stumps. Aiden Markram is unbeaten on 47.
Paterson
Dane Paterson gets Ayub and Babar
Paterson got his first wicket in the form of Saim Ayub, who played a cautious game with just 14 runs off 34 balls.
A delivery from Paterson found the outside edge of Ayub's bat and sent him back to the pavilion.
The South African bowler wasn't done yet as he also sent Babar Azam, who was making a comeback to the side, back.
Dismissals
Paterson claims three more vital Pakistan scalps
Pakistan were 56/4 with Saud Shakeel back in the hut. Both Paterson and Bosch had two wickets each in the morning session.
Pakistan headed to lunch at 88/4 before the likes of Kamram Ghulam and Mohammad Rizwan went on to add more runs.
Their fifty-plus stand was broken by Paterson, who dismissed Ghulam. Thereafter, Paterson also dismissed Rizwan.
Salman Agha was his final wicket.
Stats
2nd Test fifer for Paterson and 24th in FC cricket
In 7 matches, Paterson has raced to 24 Test wickets from 12 innings at 25.04. This was his 2nd Test fifer and a first versus Pakistan.
In four home Test matches, Paterson has 16 scalps at 20.68. Both of his fifers have come at home.
As per ESPNcricinfo, Paterson has raced to 608 wickets in First-Class cricket. This was his 24th five-wicket haul.
Bosch
Corbin Bosch claims four-fer on Test debut
Bosch managed to claim figures worth 4/63 in 15 overs.
Bosch's first ball, a wide one outside off stump, was slashed at by Pakistan captain Shan Masood. The shot produced a thick outside edge which was safely held by Marco Jansen at third slip.
This was Bosch's first wicket on debut. Bosch then dismissed Shakeel.
Aamer Jamal and Naseem Shah were his next victims.
Duo
Ghulam and Rizwan add a fifty-plus stand
Ghulam and Rizwan had the task of stabilizing Pakistan's innings before lunch.
From 56/4, they took Pakistan to 88/4.
Notably, they did a reasonable job aftet lunch and took the visitors close to 150.
The partnership was broken when Ghulam was out with the score reading 137/5. Rizwan perished shortly thereafter.
Pakistan were 142/6 with his dismissal.
Ghulam stats
Ghulam averages 50-plus in Test cricket
Ghulam scored 54 runs from 71 balls. He hit 8 fours and a six. Notably, he reached his fifty from 52 balls.
He was dismissed by Dane Paterson. Ghulam struck his maiden fifty in Tests. He owns a ton as well. In three matches (4 innings), Ghulam owns 201 runs at 50.25.
Playing his 62nd First-Class match, Ghulam has raced to 4,578 runs.
Information
Record-breaking Babar fails with 4 runs on offer
Babar was out for just four runs as his struggles in Tests continued. However, he breached the 4,000-run mark in Tests. Babar needed three runs to attain the landmark. Playing his 56th Test (101 innings) Babar owns 4,001 runs at an average of 43.48.
Information
Summary of the other Pakistan batters
Openers Masood and Ayub scored 17 and 14 runs respectively. Rizwan, who got a start, fell for 27 runs from 62 balls. Agha scored 18 runs with Aamer Jamal chipping in with a 27-ball 28. Tailenders Khurram Shahzad (11) and Mohammad Abbas (10) chipped in.
Response
South Africa lose three wickets for 82 runs
Markram remained unbeaten 47 from 67 balls. He slammed nine fours.
Fellow opener Tony de Zorzi was dismissed cheaply. He was out for two runs from 8 balls by Khurram Shahzad.
Ryan Rickelton (8) perished thereafter to Shahzad as well, leaving SA at 24/2.
Mohammad Abbas then got Tristan Stubbs as SA were 66/3.
Markram and Temba Bavuma took control thereafter.