South Africa bowled Pakistan out for 194 in the first innings after piling up 615 with the bat. The hosts enforced the follow-on in the hope of rattling Pakistan's brittle batting order quickly for the second time in the game, but were met with stoic resistance this time.

Captain Masood and Babar, opening in the absence of the injured Saim Ayub, frustrated the South Africans, added not just a century but a double-century opening partnership. The partnership was finally broken for 205 when Marco Jansen dismissed Babar at 81. Masood went on to score a hundred and remained unbeaten on 102 as Pakistan finished day three on 213-1, still 208 runs behind.

Babar and Masood's partnership was one of the rare instance of the opening partnership surpassing the team's score in the previous innings after following on. It also broke the world record for the highest opening partnership after being asked to follow on in Test cricket, going past Neil McKenzie and Graeme Smith's stand of 204 while following on at Lord's against England in 2008.

In that game, South Africa had been bowled out for 247 in response to England's 593-8 declared, and were forced to bat again. They made 393-3 in the second innings and the game ended in a draw, with each of their top three scoring hundreds.

Babar and Masood, and McKenzie and Smith, are the only two 200-plus opening partnerships while following on in Test cricket. The next best is 185 by Imrul Kayes and Tamim Iqbal against England at Lord's in 2010. Pakistan's national record for this list was previously held by Hanif Mohammad and Imtiaz Ahmed, who had stitched 158 for the opening wicket while following on against West Indies at Bridgetown in 1958.

With enough time left in the game, South Africa are still firm favourites.

Full list: Every 100-plus opening stand while following on