Babar Azam and Wiaan Mulder were involved in a heated exchange on Sunday. (AP)
With a Pakistan fightback slowly gaining momentum in the New Year’s Test at Newlands, tempers flared when South Afrcia seamer Wiaan Mulder and Babar Azam came up against each other on Sunday in Cape Town.
After racking up a mammoth 615 and wiping out Pakistan for 194, the Proteas enforced the follow-on before skipper Shan Masood and Babar put on a riposte for the visitors. As Babar built on his first-innings half-century with another measured knock, Pakistan got themselves to a solid start with the duo putting on the highest opening stand for the side in Tests against South Africa. The pair surpassed the previous best of 137 between Imran Farhat and Taufeeq Umar for the first wicket against the Proteas in Faisalabad in 2003.
However, Mulder was the first to lose his nerve when he came up against a nonchalant Babar in the 32nd over of Pakistan’s follow-on. After the 30-year-old Babar drove a ball back to the pacer, a frustrated Mulder soon grabbed the ball in his follow-through and hurled the ball back towards the batter. Babar was hit on the foot with an inaccurate throw from Mulder that was far out from the stumps.
Fight moment between Babar Azam and Wiaan Mulder. 🥵
Wiaan Mulder unnecessary throws the ball at Babar Azam & showing him verbal aggression. #BabarAzam𓃵 #PAKvsSA #SAvPAK pic.twitter.com/PZnPNTWELZ
— Ahtasham Riaz (@ahtashamriaz22) January 5, 2025
It was, however, noted that Babar was out from the crease partially with wicket-keeper Kyle Verreyne even cheekily attempted an Alex Carey-Jonny Bairstow-like run-out after collecting the ball from behind the stumps.
Mulder and Babar soon exchanged words before Masood, Aiden Markram and the umpires were involved to diffuse the tension. “You were out of your crease!” Mulder was heard as saying on the stump mic, supposedly explaing the reason behind his throw.
With his second fifty of the innings, Babar would help Pakistan reduced the deficit considerably with his 204-run stand with Masood. Opening the innings for the first time in his career, replacing the injured Saim Ayub in both innings, Babar eventually fell on 81 to Marco Jansen. The former Pakistan captain has now extended his century-less run in Tests to 495 days.
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