South Africa Seal The Series Despite Babar Azam And Shan Masood`s Effort
South Africa secured a convincing 10-wicket victory in the second Test during the final session on Day 4 in Cape Town, thereby winning the series 2-0 against Pakistan. The home side easily chased down the modest target of 58 in just over seven overs. This came after Pakistan put up a substantial score of 478 in their second innings, showcasing an impressive batting performance after being made to follow-on. With this victory, South Africa maintained an unbeaten record in Tests for the 2024/25 season, with nine wins and one draw.
Pakistan remained determined to make a comeback after Tea, with Salman Ali Agha and Mohammad Rizwan batting well together. Just two overs in, Agha escaped a potential LBW call as he managed to get his bat down just in time before the ball struck his pads, while Rizwan celebrated reaching 400 with a boundary off Keshav Maharaj, who was yet to take a wicket at that point. However, the 88-run partnership ended when Rizwan softly hit a delivery from Maharaj to Temba Bavuma at cover.
Also Read: How Babar Azam And Shan Masood Fought After SA Enforced Pakistan The Follow On
Aamer Jamal was given a reprieve two balls later when Aiden Markram dropped a catch at first slip, allowing him to make them pay by hitting a boundary in the same over, leveling the scores. Agha survived an LBW appeal through DRS, but was dismissed at slip just two deliveries later off Maharaj. Jamal and Mir Hamza targeted Kagiso Rabada, collecting several boundaries, with Hamza executing a lovely lofted shot for six down the ground off a full-length delivery. Shortly after, with Pakistan’s lead surpassing 50, both batters were dismissed within five balls of each other, leaving the host with a minimal target to chase.
David Bedingham was promoted to open the innings after Ryan Rickelton was sidelined due to an injury sustained in the field yesterday. He played aggressively, scoring 47 off 30 balls, including five fours and two sixes. Meanwhile, Aiden Markram efficiently rotated the strike to wrap up the chase quickly, marking South Africa’s seventh consecutive Test win.
Earlier in the day, South Africa claimed two wickets in the first session, including those of nightwatchman Khurram Shahzad and Kamran Ghulam. Marco Jansen generated extra bounce, causing Shahzad to tentatively push a catch to the fielder at point, while Rabada executed a perfect setup for Ghulam with a series of outswingers before a nip-backer bowled him out. However, Masood continued to score runs at the other end.
South Africa then claimed crucial wickets of Saud Shakeel and Masood shortly after Lunch using the new ball. Kagiso Rabada, the pace spearhead, dismissed Shakeel with a delivery that angled in from around the wicket, which the batter edged to second slip. In the very next over, Maphaka sent back Masood LBW after the hosts requested the third umpire to review Nitin Menon’s on-field not-out call. The ball struck Masood in line, directly in front of the off-stump, and was straight enough to hit the stumps cleanly. These two dismissals paved the way for the hosts to achieve victory going into the final session, despite the resistance from Rizwan and Agha.
