Maharaj returns for South Africa. Pakistan wins toss and elects to bat in 2nd cricket test

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Pakistan's Shan Masood, right, flips the coin for toss as South Africa's Aiden Markram watches before the start of the play of second test cricket match between Pakistan and South Africa, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Shan Masood, right, shakes hand with South Africa's Aiden Markram after coin toss before the start of the play of second test cricket match between Pakistan and South Africa, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) — Pakistan's Shan Masood, right, flips the coin for toss as South Africa's Aiden Markram watches before the start of the play of second test cricket match between Pakistan and South Africa, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

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10:07 PM on Sunday, October 19

The Associated Press

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan won the toss Monday and elected to bat in the second cricket test against a South Africa lineup bolstered by the return of left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj.

Pakistan leads the two-match series after a 93-run win on a spin-friendly wicket in the first test at Lahore last week.

Maharaj was available only for the second test because he was recovering from groin injury. He replaced off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen in one of the two changes the World Test Championship winners made to their XI.

Seaming all-rounder Marco Jansen returned in place of Wiaan Mulder, who bowled only two overs in the first test and struggled against spinners in both innings while batting at No. 3.

South Africa captain Aiden Markram said his team has learnt “couple of lessons” from the defeat in the first test, and that’s the reason he made two changes.

With the Pindi Cricket Stadium also likely to suit spinners, Pakistan included a third specialist slow bowler and awarded a test debut to 38-year-old left-arm spinner Asif Afridi, who replaced Hasan Ali.

Pakistan skipper Shan Masood said the dry wicket encouraged him once again to bat first after he won his second successive toss.

“The pitch is a bit on the dry side, so better to bat first,” Masood said.

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Line-ups:

Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood (captain), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Asif Afridi.

South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Senuran Muthusamy, Simon Harmer, Kagiso Rabada.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket