LAHORE: Pakistan rode on a brilliant 93 from Imam-ul-Haq to reach 313-5 after a brief fightback from South Africa on the opening day of the first Test in Lahore on Sunday.&nbsp;Shan Masood hit 76, but Haq missed out on his hundred as Pakistan slumped to 199-5 as four wickets fell quickly.&nbsp;Mohammad Rizwan, 62 not out, and Salman Agha, unbeaten 52 at the close, rebuilt the innings during an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 114 in the final session on a spin-friendly Gaddafi Stadium pitch.&nbsp;Rizwan hit two fours and two sixes in his 12th Test half-century while Agha had two fours and a six in reaching his 10th fifty.&nbsp;Pakistan dominated most of the first two sessions, but then had a mini-collapse from 163-1 to 199-5 as they lost four wickets for 36 runs, the last three without adding a run either side of the tea interval.&nbsp;Spinner Prenelan Subrayen trapped Masood lbw for 76, including nine fours and a six, to end a 161-run stand with Haq.&nbsp;Left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy then had Haq caught at short-leg by Tony de Zorzi, after a 236-minute knock that included seven fours and a six.&nbsp;Next ball, the last before tea , Muthusamy had Saud Shakeel caught and bowled to bring South Africa back into the game at 199-4.&nbsp;Local hero Babar Azam fell for 23, trapped leg-before by off-spinner Simon Harmer after the interval to make it 199-5 and leave a good 10,000 holiday crowd disappointed.&nbsp;South Africa could have been in a better position had they not dropped Masood on 61 and Haq on 72 with Subrayen the unlucky bowler on both occasions.&nbsp;With the pitch likely to turn, Masood opted to bat after winning the toss and named specialist spin duo Noman Ali and Sajid Khan in the team&nbsp;Pakistan lost opener Abdullah Shafique leg before to pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada off the third ball of the day.&nbsp;South African captain Aiden Markram turned to his spinners in the sixth over and by lunch had used all three -- Subrayen, Harmer and Muthusamy.&nbsp;But there were no further dramas in the opening session as Pakistan reached 107-1 at lunch after Haq had brought up his 10th Test fifty.&nbsp;The two-match series is part of the new World Test Championship two-year cycle. South Africa won the title by beating Australia in June.

Cricket

Pakistan reached 313-5 on day one of the Lahore Test against South Africa, led by Imam-ul-Haq’s 93 and a 114-run stand between Rizwan (62*) and Agha (52*) after a mid-innings collapse from 163-1 to 199-5.

Pakistan recover to 313-5 after South Africa strike back in first Test

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: The Asia Cup 2025 final between Pakistan and India has become the biggest television event in Pakistan&rsquo;s history, with PTV Sports recording unprecedented viewership ratings.&nbsp;Official data released Wednesday showed that 80&ndash;100 million people tuned in to the live telecast, with ratings peaking at 42%, the highest ever for any program in the country. The record shattered the previous benchmark of 32% set by ARY Digital&rsquo;s hit drama Meray Paas Tum Ho.&nbsp;&ldquo;This performance confirms the Asia Cup final was not only a sporting triumph but also the biggest television event in Pakistan&rsquo;s broadcast history,&rdquo; said Pakistan Television Corporation Manager Corporate Research Arshad Hussain. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/6d2bbf0b-5051-4708-9759-a38dffba6c21-asia cup whatzapp image.jpg" alt="asia cup whatzapp image.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Source-PTV</figcaption></figure> The match carried special significance as it marked the first-ever Asia Cup final between Pakistan and India, intensifying interest on both sides of the border. Cricket has long dominated TV viewership in Pakistan, but never before had a sports event surpassed the nation&rsquo;s top-rated drama serials.&nbsp;The milestone underlines cricket&rsquo;s unrivaled grip on Pakistani audiences and cements PTV Sports&rsquo; place as the home of historic live broadcasts.

Film & TV

The state broadcaster made history as the Asia Cup 2025 final between Pakistan and India drew 80–100 million viewers, hitting a record 42% peak rating and surpassing all previous television viewership benchmarks in Pakistan.

Articles tagged with "PAKISTAN"

Pakistan recover to 313-5 after South Africa strike back in first Test

PTV Sports sets historic record with Asia Cup final broadcast

Pakistan recover to 313-5 after South Africa strike back in first Test