Newlands: In a commanding display, South Africa clinched a 10-wicket victory over Pakistan at Newlands, completing a 2-0 series win in just four days. Set a modest target of 58 runs, the home side swiftly chased it down, showcasing their dominance in the final Test match.
Pakistan’s Second Innings Fightback
After being asked to follow on, Pakistan delivered a commendable second-innings performance, scoring 478 runs. Captain Shan Masood led the charge with a remarkable 145 runs, demonstrating resilience on a pitch that offered little assistance to the bowlers. Despite their efforts, Kagiso Rabada (3-115) and Keshav Maharaj (3-137) played key roles in dismantling the Pakistan batting order, exploiting some poor shot selection from the visitors.
Quick Victory for South Africa
David Bedingham opened the batting for South Africa in their second innings after Ryan Rickelton sustained a hamstring injury. Bedingham’s explosive 44 runs off just 30 balls propelled the team to victory in a mere 7.1 overs.
“It was good old Test cricket. “There was an advantage for the bowlers with the new ball, but then the pitch became much easier to bat on,” said South Africa captain Temba Bavuma. He expressed satisfaction with the win and emphasized the team’s learning experiences throughout the series.
Impressive Winning Streak
With this victory, South Africa extended their winning streak to seven Tests, marking their second-best run of consecutive wins, just behind a nine-match winning streak from 2002-2003. The team is now gearing up for the World Test Championship final against Australia, scheduled to take place at Lord’s from June 11-15.
Pakistan’s Mixed Performance
On the fourth day, Pakistan resumed their innings at 213 for one but was effectively down two wickets due to Saim Ayub’s ankle injury from the first day. Despite the wicket being unhelpful for bowlers, South Africa managed to take crucial wickets in the morning session. Marco Jansen’s dismissal of Khurram Shahzad for 18 and Rabada’s removal of Kamran Ghulam for 28 were significant moments.
The introduction of the new ball after lunch brought more breakthroughs for South Africa, including the vital wicket of Masood, who was trapped leg before wicket by 18-year-old Kwena Maphaka, South Africa’s youngest-ever Test player.
Despite spirited contributions from Mohammad Rizwan (41) and Salman Agha (48), both fell to Maharaj, who wrapped up the innings by claiming the wicket of Aamer Jamal after a brisk 34.
Looking Ahead
Pakistan’s impressive total of 478 marks the highest-ever follow-on score by a visiting team in South Africa. However, Masood acknowledged the team’s shortcomings in crucial moments. “We didn’t start off well with ball and bat… [but] we need to learn how to win the crucial moments,” he stated.
As South Africa prepares for the upcoming World Test Championship final, they will carry valuable lessons and momentum from this successful series against Pakistan.