Career bests for Muthusamy and Rabada give Proteas upper hand in second test

Muthusamy and Rabada shared an unlikely 98-run stand at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, posting respective career best scores of 89 and 71 to give their side a 71-run lead.

This was before some good work with the ball had the hosts leading by only 23 runs for the loss of four wickets by stumps on day three in the second innings. Muthusamy had high praise for Rabada, who notched up his first test half-century.

"Initially, it was just about playing what was in front of us. KG was exemplary and delivered an innings of the highest standard. 

"As the innings went on, I played a supporting role, because he was seeing it so nicely and hitting the ball cleanly."

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Muthusamy fell just 11 runs short of a maiden test ton, but seemed less concerned about that than the massive contribution he made to dig the team out of a hole. South Africa had a terrible morning session where they lost a few wickets within a short period of time, and would have been resigned to a first innings deficit had it not been for the gutsy batting of the two, including Keshav Maharaj’s 30-run contribution. He explained the challenges he faced towards the back end of his innings.

"I lost a little bit of rhythm towards the back end of my innings and found it tough to score with the fielders being so spread.

"The pitch will get tougher to bat on, but we look forward to the challenge."

He credited his cricket upbringing in the coastal regions for his readiness to bat in spin-friendly conditions.

Both Muthusamy and Maharaj play their domestic cricket for the Dolphins in Durban, and he says this has helped them to master a few tricks up their sleeves when playing in the sub-continent.