Pretoria (Web Desk): South Africa's pacers unleashed a devastating spell to dismantle Pakistan’s batting line-up in the opening Test at SuperSport Park, Centurion, leaving the visitors all out for a mere 211 runs.
Dane Paterson led the charge with a stellar five-wicket haul, while Corbin Bosch chipped in with four wickets. Marco Jansen capped off the innings by claiming the final scalp, as Pakistan’s resistance crumbled under relentless pace bowling.
The Pakistani batsmen were on the backfoot from the start, with only Kamran Ghulam providing any significant resistance, top-scoring with 54 runs.
The rest of the top order faltered, with Babar Azam and Shan Masood dismissed cheaply for 4 and 17, respectively. Saud Shakeel and Saim Ayub also failed to make an impact, and the middle order crumbled under pressure.
Mohammad Rizwan’s 27 and Salman Ali Agha’s 18 were brief flashes of hope, but the tail was exposed, and after a duck from Naseem Shah, the innings ended when Jansen dismissed Khurram Shahzad.
South Africa made a solid start in their chase but faced early jitters. Pakistan’s Khurram Shahzad struck early, removing Tony de Zorzi for just 1, and soon after, Ryan Rickelton was sent back for only eight runs.
Tristan Stubbs tried to steady the ship, but his cameo of nine runs was short-lived as he fell to Mohammad Abbas.
Aiden Markram stood firm, accumulating runs while his captain Temba Bavuma joined him at the crease, hoping to rebuild after the early setbacks.
South Africa had opted to bowl first after winning the toss, knowing the Centurion pitch offered plenty of movement for the seamers.
Their decision paid off as Paterson, Bosch, and Jansen exploited the conditions brilliantly, making quick work of the Pakistan batters.
With the World Test Championship final within reach, South Africa’s win in this series is crucial to keeping their hopes alive.
Pakistan, without a specialist spinner, relied solely on their fast bowling attack, with Mohammad Abbas, Aamer Jamal, Naseem Shah, and Khurram Shahzad tasked with the job.
Despite their efforts, Pakistan’s batting crumbled under pressure, as South Africa’s bowlers dominated the contest.
The pitch, offering seam movement, made batting difficult, but the Proteas were intent on capitalizing on the early breakthroughs, aiming for a strong response in their first innings.
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Shan Masood (capt), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Salman Agha, Aamer Jamal, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (capt), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson, Corbin Bosch
