In a thrilling game at Centurion, South African tailenders Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen showed incredible determination against Pakistan’s fast bowler Mohammad Abbas. They secured a tense two-wicket win in the first test match, earning South Africa a place in next year’s World Test Championship final.
After some difficult moments, Jansen, who remained unbeaten at 16, hit a boundary against Abbas, leading South Africa to a total of 150-8 just after lunch on Day 4. Captain Temba Bavuma, who scored 40 runs, felt emotional but proud. He said, “We found a way to win. There’s a lot of joy in our team and glad we got the result.”
Mohammad Abbas, returning after a three-year break from Test cricket, had impressive bowling figures of 6-54. He almost stopped South Africa’s chase of 148 runs by taking four wickets for just three runs during a tough session before lunch. At one point, South Africa was in deep trouble at 99-8 until Rabada joined Jansen in a strong partnership that earned 51 runs.
Rabada scored 31 not out off just 26 balls, helping to secure a memorable win for the Proteas, who denied Pakistan their first Test victory in South Africa in nearly 18 years.
Despite starting the World Test Championship cycle with a 1-1 draw against India and a 2-0 loss to New Zealand, South Africa has bounced back, winning against teams like West Indies, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka to rise to the top of the standings.
Bavuma emphasized the significance of reaching the WTC final, especially after a shaky start. “We weren’t expected to succeed, but we proved ourselves,” he said.
In their chase, Bavuma and Aiden Markram (who scored 37) faced off against Abbas and held on tight. Unfortunately, Bavuma was controversially dismissed without reviewing the decision when replays suggested the ball might have touched his pocket, not the bat.
After losing a few quick wickets and collapsing to 96-4, it looked tough. But Rabada and Jansen steadied the ship, with Rabada’s edge just eluding the wicketkeeper.
Pakistan’s captain Shan Masood expressed disappointment. He said, “We have to stop making the same mistakes and work to win next time.”
The second test match begins in Cape Town on Friday.
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