South Africa has taken a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series against Pakistan. South Africa registered a thrilling victory by two wickets in the first Test match played in Centurion on Sunday. With this victory, South Africa confirmed its place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
thrill of centurion test
- South Africa had a target of 148 runs to win.
- Pakistan kept hold of the match due to the lethal performance of fast bowler Mohammad Abbas. Abbas took 6 wickets for 54 runs in 19.3 overs.
- However, in difficult circumstances, Kagiso Rabada’s brilliant batting led South Africa to victory.
Rabada’s innings: Pakistan’s dream shattered
On the fourth day, the South African team was on the verge of defeat after losing 8 wickets for 99 runs.
- Kagiso Rabada (31 not out off 26 balls) came at a difficult time and made Pakistan cry tears of blood.
- He made a partnership of 51 runs for the ninth wicket with Marco Jansen (16 not out in 24 balls).
- Rabada batted openly with the help of 5 fours and broke Pakistan’s dream of winning the Test on South African soil after 18 years.
Contribution of Marco Jansen
Marco Jansen gave victory to South Africa by hitting a four on Mohammad Abbas.
- South Africa achieved the target in 39.3 overs.
Historic scene seen after 32 years
- This was only the fourth time in the history of Test cricket that a team won despite 8 wickets falling for less than 100 runs in the fourth innings.
- Last time: Pakistan came back to win against England in 1992 with a score of 95/8.
Contribution of Captain Temba Bavuma
Captain Temba Bavuma also played an important role for South Africa.
- He scored 40 runs (on 78 balls).
- His innings included 4 fours and 1 six.
Mohammad Abbas: Hero of Pakistan, but not enough
Mohammad Abbas gave his best bowling performance in the Test against South Africa.
- Abbas bowled a spell of 6/54 leaving Mushtaq Ahmed and Waqar Younis behind.
Best performance of Pakistani bowlers against SA:
| figure | bowler | place | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/54 | Mohammad Abbas | centurion | 2024 |
| 6/78 | mushtaq ahmed | Durban | 1998 |
| 6/78 | Waqar Younis | Gakbaraha | 1998 |
| 6/96 | Saeed Ajmal | cape town | 2013 |
| 6/120 | Tanveer Ahmed | abu dhabi | 2010 |
