2 - South Africa are the only side to enforce the follow-on twice in this World Test Championship (WTC) cycle - once against Bangladesh in Chattogram and now against Pakistan in Cape Town. Sri Lanka are the only other team to enforce the follow-on in this cycle when they bowled out New Zealand for 88 after declaring at 602 for 5 in Galle. For Pakistan, it was the first time following on since the Southampton Test in 2020.
205 - The 205-run stand between Shan Masood and Babar Azam is the highest opening stand while following on. The duo surpassed Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie's opening stand of 204 runs against England at Lord's in 2008 when South Africa batted for over two days to save the Test. This is also Pakistan's highest opening stand in South Africa and only their second 100-plus stand for the first wicket. Coincidentally, three of their last four 100-plus stands overall have extended to more than 200 runs.
1 - Masood became the first Pakistan captain to score a Test hundred in South Africa. Previously, Salim Malik, leading Pakistan in the only Test in Johannesburg in 1995, was out for 99. Inzamam-ul-Haq was left stranded on 92 while batting at number eight in Gqeberha in 2007.
421 - South Africa's first-innings lead of 421 is the sixth highest for them in a Test and their highest against Pakistan. After batting first in a Test, it is their third-highest overall. For Pakistan, it is the sixth occasion of conceding a lead in excess of 400 after the completion of the first innings - three times while batting first and three times when bowling first. It is also the fifth-biggest first-innings lead in South Africa in the 21st century.
18 years 272 days - Kwena Maphaka became the youngest debutant for South Africa the moment he stepped on the field. On Day 3, picking up Babar's wicket, he also became the youngest to take a wicket for South Africa in Test cricket.
3 - With a fifty in the second innings of the Centurion Test and twin fifties here, this is the first time in Babar's career that he has amassed three consecutive fifties without turning any one of them into a hundred. The number three doesn't leave Babar here. He was out caught down the leg-side in the first innings, the third such occasion since 2022, the joint-most for a Pakistani batter alongside Saud Shakeel.