SA vs PAK: Babar Azam’s On Field Heated Exchange With Mulder

SA vs PAK: In a dramatic turn of events in the ongoing Test series between Pakistan and South Africa, a heated altercation took place between Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam, and South African fast bowler Wiaan Mulder. The incident, which occurred on January 3, during the second Test match in Cape Town, has since gone viral on social media, sparking wide discussion among cricket fans.

Context of the Match: SA vs PAK

 

The second Test of the series is being played at Cape Town’s Newlands Cricket Ground. South Africa, after putting up a mammoth 615 runs in their first innings, dominated the early proceedings of the match. Pakistan, which was struggling with the bat, was bowled out for just 194 runs in their first innings, conceding a huge first-innings lead.

On the back of this, Pakistan was asked to follow, a tricky situation where the visiting team is compelled to bat again to try and avoid an innings defeat. However, Pakistan showed resilience in their second innings, beginning well with a good partnership between their captain Shan Masood and Babar Azam.

By the third day, Pakistan had reached a healthy 213/1 in 49 overs, with Masood looking stable on 102* and Babar Azam supporting his team with some crucial 58 runs made off 87 balls. However, a developing heated argument between Babar Azam and Wiaan Mulder shifted the focus of the match towards that.

The Incident: A Heated Argument Between Babar Azam and Wiaan Mulder

 

The incident happened on the fourth ball of the 32nd over as Pakistan was playing its second innings. Babar Azam, who played well, already had 58 runs when he came to play the shot towards the South African bowler Mulder. As Mulder gathered the ball in his follow-through, suddenly he threw the ball back at Babar Azam.

The throw, however, was wide and hit Babar’s leg. Although the Pakistan batter was a little out of his crease, the throw from Mulder seemed unnecessary and slightly aggressive, hitting Babar’s foot. This action clearly infuriated Babar, who visibly lost his composure for a moment.

The two players exchanged words, with Babar Azam showing his displeasure at the throw. As tensions rose, the on-field umpires swiftly intervened to defuse the situation. The situation was calmed further when Babar Azam engaged in a brief conversation with South Africa’s senior batsman Aiden Markram, possibly seeking to understand Mulder’s actions.

The Video Goes Viral

The confrontation was televised, and one of the videos being accessed hundreds of thousands of times on social media and shared across popular networks caught the fierce moment of the two players’ confrontation. Overnight, the clip became viral and began to call significant attention from cricket fans, analysts, and commentators. The arguments thereafter sparked discussions of the severity of the exchange between the two players with most discussing whether Mulder’s throw was deliberate or just an attempt, in the act, that is merely misplaced.

This was not the first time Babar Azam had been involved in a confrontation on the field, but the incident did add an extra layer of drama to the already intense series between Pakistan and South Africa.

Babar Azam’s Form in the Match

 

While the duel with Mulder took much of the headlines, Babar Azam’s batting on the third day also grabbed a good share of it. Having scored only a mediocre score in the first innings, Pakistan, Babar was way more impressive in his second innings. He was going great, scoring a watchful knock, and Pakistan still was fighting hard to stay in the game.

Babar Azam last scored a Test century for Pakistan in December 2022. Since then, he was looking forward to the return to the three-figure mark, but unfortunately, he could not cross the 81 runs that came his way, as Marco Jansen from South Africa got his wicket. Though this was not a great contribution to building Pakistan’s second innings, the calm approach of the captain helped stabilize the team’s position after a poor first innings performance.

Current Match Situation: Pakistan’s Recovery Effort

 

With just one session of play remaining as of day three, Pakistan has a daunting task in hand: to fight from 213/1 for another 208 runs to take an unassailable lead off the back of South Africa’s monstrous total of 615. As of writing this, Shan Masood continues on 102*. He is showing great fight along with some decent batting so far. Once Babar left the crease, the remaining Pakistan batters must fight with even more aggression.

Even though South Africa enjoys the dominance of this Test, Pakistan put themselves in a good position to claw their way out by Masood, who shared his partnership along with Babar, who put in a short period but very convincing innings. That still leaves so much to come on the two sides, while the South African must not concede anything more coming days.

What Lies Ahead for Both Teams?

With two more days of play remaining, the match is finely poised. Pakistan will need a series of strong partnerships if they are to avoid defeat and push for a draw or even an unlikely victory. On the other hand, South Africa will be looking to wrap up the match quickly, with their bowlers targeting Pakistan’s middle order and lower order.

Babar Azam’s confrontation with Wiaan Mulder may have heated up the on-field battle for a brief while, but the real war is still in progress on the field. In the course of the game, Pakistan’s batting prowess will be tested to whether they can threaten South Africa with a strong comeback from their huge total.

This match was turning out to be a temper test, though it was technically a skill one, as this Test series played out under extremely high stakes against both teams.

ALSO READ: IND W vs IRE W: Smriti Mandhana To Lead ODI Series