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Babar Azam takes stunning catch at slips to trigger South African collapse in first Test

Anurag Dasgupta

Babar takes a stunner [Source: @Sher__Ali/x.com] Babar takes a stunner [Source: @Sher__Ali/x.com]

Babar Azam, the Pakistan star player, is known for his brilliant batting and supreme timing; however, on Monday, he plucked a stunning catch that changed the course of the first Test match between Pakistan and South Africa in Lahore. South African opening batter, Ryan Rickelton was going strong before Babar’s efforts halted his momentum.

With Pakistan posting 378 in their first innings, the visitors needed a strong squad and Rickelton was up for the challenge as he weathered the early storm and then picked up the pace. He tackled the spinners well, but just 29. runs shy of a brilliant away Test hundred, disaster struck.

Babar takes a stunner in slips to start Proteas collapse

The opener was going strong as Pakistan captain Shan Masood introduced Salman Ali Agha in the attack, and he got the breakthrough. He delivered a tossed-up ball, and Rickelton got an outside-edge on his attempted flick shot. Babar was standing at first slip when the ball travelled quickly towards him.

The Pakistan fielder had a fraction of a second to react as he dived to his right and plucked a stunner to trigger a collapse. Before Ryan Rickelton’s dismissal, the scoreboard was 174/2. After his departure, the Proteas lost a flurry of wickets and they ended the day on 216/6.

What made the catch a stunning effort?

For starters, Babar was standing close to the wicket, and when the ball took the outside-edge, Babar had little time for decision-making. He quickly made the judgment to crouch low to his right and it paid off as he took a stunner.

Moreover, the catch held an important context. Before the wicket, the visitors were going strong and had only lost two wickets for 174 runs. However, that astonishing catch triggered the collapse as from 174/2, South Africa lost the next 4 wickets inside 26 runs.