Rawalpindi – Pakistan spinner Asif Afridi became the oldest bowler to take a five-wicket haul on test debut Wednesday before South Africa's tailenders frustrated the home team in the second cricket test.

The 38-year-old Afridi snared 5-61, but Senuran Muthusamy and Keshav Maharaj both got reprieves to lift South Africa to 285-8 at lunch on Day 3.

South Africa was trailing by 98 runs when it lost Marco Jansen, then Muthusamy and Maharaj combined to cut the first-innings deficit to 48 with an aggressive unbeaten half-century stand.

Muthusamy was unbeaten on 48 off 84 balls and escaped a chance when Salman Ali Agha couldn't hold onto a top-edge while running from the slips.

Maharaj also survived a couple of dropped catches and a stumping opportinity as he reached 23 off 32 balls.

Afridi, who finally earned a test debut after performing impressively in the last couple of domestic seasons, ran through the middle-order after South Africa resumed on 185-4.

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