South Africa ended an 18-year drought in Pakistan by defeating the host team by 8 wickets in the second and final Test played on Thursday, leveling the series 1-1.
Sports News: Powered by Simon Harmer's deadly 6-wicket haul, following Keshav Maharaj, South Africa defeated Pakistan by 8 wickets in the second Test on Thursday. In this Test, played in Rawalpindi, Pakistan batted first and was all out for 333 runs in their first innings. In reply, South Africa was all out for 404 runs, securing a first-innings lead of 71 runs.
In Pakistan's second innings, captain Babar Azam (50) scored a half-century, but other batsmen failed to stay at the crease, and the entire team was all out for 138 runs. South Africa was set a target of 68 runs for victory, which they achieved by losing just two wickets.
Match Summary
In this match played at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Pakistan batted first and was all out for 333 runs in their first innings. In response, South Africa scored 404 runs, taking a 71-run lead based on the first innings. In Pakistan's second innings, Captain Babar Azam played an innings of 50 runs, but the performance of other batsmen was disappointing. The entire team was all out for 138 runs. Consequently, South Africa was left with a target of just 68 runs for victory, which they easily accomplished.
South Africa's chase of 68 runs began with Aiden Markram (42) and Ryan Rickelton (25)* opening the innings. The duo put together a 64-run partnership, guiding the team to a winning position. For Pakistan, Nauman Ali provided some relief by taking two wickets in one over. He dismissed Markram leg before wicket and had Tristan Stubbs caught by Salman Agha.
Simon Harmer's Deadly Bowling
The end of Pakistan's second innings proved costly at the hands of Simon Harmer for South Africa. Harmer claimed 6 wickets for 50 runs, including 5 maidens, in 20 overs. Keshav Maharaj, who was the hero in the first innings, also took 2 wickets. Kagiso Rabada accounted for one wicket. Pakistan's top order performance in the second innings was very weak. The first three wickets fell for just 16 runs. Babar Azam tried to steady the team with a half-century, but Saud Shakeel (11), Mohammad Rizwan (18), and Salman Agha (28) could not contribute much.
South Africa last registered a Test win in Pakistan in 2007. Since then, the Proteas' hopes of winning in Pakistan had always remained unfulfilled. The last time South Africa played a Test series in Pakistan, they suffered a 0-2 defeat. This time, under the captaincy of Aiden Markram, the team delivered an excellent performance, ending this long drought. With this victory, South Africa leveled the series 1-1.
