Pakistani top order crumbles before South Africa in first Karachi Test

Pakistan were four down for 33 by the 18th over in their first Test against South Africa in Karachi on Tuesday.
Opener Abid Ali was the first to go, when he was bowled by Kagiso Rabada in the fifth over after scoring just four runs. Rabada struck again in the seventh over and Imran Butt (9) was caught by Keegan Petersen.
Skipper Babar Azam only scored a meagre 7 before he fell to Keshav Maharaj in the 16th over.
Earlier, South Africa were bowled out for 220.
Spinners Yasir Shah (3-54) and debutant Nauman Ali (2-38) destroyed the tourists on a brownish pitch after South Africa won the toss and batted.
Dean Elgar top-scored with 58 while George Linde made 35.
Opener Elgar struck his 16th Test half-century, laced with nine boundaries before he edged debutant Nauman into the hands of Babar Azam in the slip.
Elgar and Faf du Plessis (23) had steadied the innings during their 45-run stand for the third wicket after Aiden Markram (13) and Rassie van der Dussen (17) were dismissed in the first session.
Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi had Markram caught in the slip, while van der Dussen was run out after attempting a quick single, with wicketkeeper Rizwan diving acrobatically to dislodge the wickets.
The tourists were 179-6 at tea after Nauman dismissed South African skipper Quinton de Kock (15) and Elgar (58) as South Africa fumbled from a steady 94-2 at lunch.
At tea Geroge Linde (25) and Keshav Maharaj (nought) were at the crease as South Africa – who won the toss and batted – were left to fight on a brownish pitch, which had started to take slow spin.
Proteas captain Quinton de Kock earlier won the toss and opted to bat, hoping to get a big first-innings total.
South Africa entered the Test – their first in Pakistan in 14 years – with two spinners, Keshav Maharaj and George Linde, to exploit a bare pitch which is expected to take spin.
Pakistan handed Test caps to 34-year-old left-arm spinner Nauman Ali and 25-year-old opener Imran Butt in a combination of three pacers and two spinners.
Pakistan umpire Aleem Dar, who has officiated on-field in the most international games (391), is supervising his first test in Pakistan since making his debut in 2000.
Dar got his first opportunity at home after the International Cricket Council allowed the appointment of local match officials for international matches because of travel restrictions in place for the Covid-19 pandemic.
Teams:
Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Abid Ali, Imran Butt, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Rizwan, Nauman Ali, Yasir Shah, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (capt), Aiden Markram, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Temba Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Rassie van der Dussen, Anrich Nortje, George Linde.