New Delhi: Pakistan captain Shan Masood scripted history as he broke a 27-year-old record with his brilliant 145-run knock in his team’s second innings of the ongoing 2nd Test against South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town on Monday, January 06. Masood shattered the record for the highest individual score by a Pakistan batter in a Test match in South Africa.
He went past former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood, who scored 136 runs in a Test match against South Africa at the Wanderers in Johannesburg in February 1998. Mahmood’s record stood for 27 years before being broken by Masood on Monday. The Pakistan skipper’s 145-run knock was laced with 17 fours as he led the visitors’ fightback in their 2nd innings after being asked to follow on.
Masood also became the first Pakistan batter to score two centuries in a single Test series in South Africa. No other Pakistan batter has managed to achieve the feat in the past. Mahmood, Younis Khan, Taufeeq Umar Saeed Anwar and Asad Shafiq are the other Pakistan batters to have scored a Test century in South Africa.
Highest individual scores by Pakistan batters in South Africa in Tests:
Shan Masood – 145, Cape Town, January 2025
Azhar Mahmood – 136, Johannesburg, February 1998
Taufeeq Umar – 135, Cape Town, January 2003
Azhar Mahmood – 132, Durban, February 1998
Saeed Anwar – 118, Durban, February 1998
Shan Masood 1st Pakistan captain to score a Test ton in South Africa
Masood achieved another rare milestone en route to his 145-run knock in Pakistan’s second innings of the Cape Town Test as he became the first Pakistan captain to score a Test century on South African soil. Former Pakistan captain Saleem Malik previously held the record for the highest individual score by a Pakistan captain in a Test match in South Africa with his 99-run knock in January 1995.
Thanks to Masood’s sublime ton, Pakistan have been able to stage a fightback in their second innings after being asked to follow on. The visitors were bowled out for a paltry 194 in their first innings, in reply to South Africa’s first-innings total of 615 runs before the hosts enforced follow-on. Masood’s ton along with Babar Azam’s 81 helped Pakistan cross the 400-run mark in their second innings to get closer to overhauling South Africa’s first-innings lead.
Captain Shan Masood slammed a brilliant knock of 145 runs in Pakistan’s second innings of the ongoing 2nd Test against South Africa to break a 27-year-old record. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
