RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan won the toss on Monday to choose to bat in the second cricket Test against South Africa, helped by the return of left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj.
Pakistan are leading the two-match series after a 93-run win on a spin-friendly wicket in the first Test in Lahore last week.
Maharaj was only available for the second Test as he was recovering from a groin injury. He replaced off-spinner Prenelan Subrien in one of two changes the World Test Championship winners made to their squad.
All-rounder Marco Jansen returned in place of Vian Mulder, who bowled just two overs in the first Test and struggled with the spinners in both innings while batting at number 3.
South Africa captain Aiden Markram said his side had learned “a couple of lessons” from their defeat in the first Test, which is why he made two changes.
With the Pindi Cricket Stadium also likely to accommodate spinners, Pakistan included a third specialist slow bowler and gave a Test debut to 38-year-old left-arm spinner Asif Afridi, who replaced Hasan Ali.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood said the dry wicket prompted him to bat first again after he won his second straight over.
“The pitch is a little dry, so it’s better to bat first,” Masood said.
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Compositions:
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafiq, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood (captain), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Asif Afridi.
South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verrein, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Senuran Muthusamy, Simon Harmer, Kagiso Rabada.
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AP Cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
