Pakistan vs South Africa Match Highlights, 1st Test (4th Day): Pakistan cruises to victory with a day left on the game

At the end of the third day of the Karachi Test, South Africa lost 4 wickets for 187 runs and started the fourth day’s play with 29 runs ahead of the hosts. On the last afternoon of the third day, the visiting team lost 3 wickets for 10 runs after being knocked out by Yasir Shah and Nauman Ali. So, it was predicted that South Africa would face a tough test on the fourth day’s play. However, the Proteas could not pass that test.

In the morning, the night watchman of the visiting team Keshav Maharaj was bowled by fast bowler Hasan Ali in the first ball of the innings. Protea batsman Temba Bavuma came to the crease next. The later story is only for the spinners. Yasir Shah and Nauman Ali shared the remaining five wickets in which Nauman took four wickets.

The Proteas batsmen could not stand in front of the two spinners of Pakistan. Two spinners have bowled with protection on silly points and short legs. Protea captain De Cock, who scored 2 runs off 17 balls, got caught by Abid Ali at short leg in delivery of Yasir Shah. After that, Bavuma was fighting with George Linde for the seventh wicket of 42 runs. But as the procession to return to the pavilion was going on the other side, Bavuma could not survive the fight. Nauman Ali took the wickets of George Linde (11), Rabada (1), and Nortje (0) one by one. After a while, Bavuma got out by lbw trap of Nauman Ali scoring 40 off 93 balls. With this wicket, the left-arm spinner took five wickets in his debut Test. On the fourth day, the visitors lost 6 wickets in 25.3 overs and scored 58 runs. The hosts got a target of only 88 runs to win.

In their second innings, Pakistan got a great victory coming to bat for the target of 88 runs with 7 wickets on hand one day remaining of the final day. The hosts started the innings well with Imran Butt and Abid Ali. Pakistan scored 22 runs for no loss before the lunch break.

Returning from the break, Nortje picked up Abid Ali (17) in the first ball of the over and Imran Butt (12) in the last ball. After that, the hosts reached the target with the help of Babar Azam and Azahar Ali’s partnership. However, Pakistan captain Babar Azam (30) got out just two runs away from the victory. On the other hand, Azhar Ali remained unbeaten with 31 runs off 47 balls.

Nortje (2-24, 7 overs) and Keshav Maharaj (1-12, 1.5 overs) took wickets each for the Proteas. By winning, Pakistan got a lead in two-Test series 1-0.

Playing XIs:

South Africa – Dean Elgar, Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock (c & wk), Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, George Linde, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Temba Bavuma, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi.

Pakistan – Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Imran Butt, Babar Azam (c), Yasir Shah, Nauman Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi.

Scorecard:

South Africa (1st Innings) – 220/10 (69.2)

Fall of wickets: 1-30 (Markram, 4.6 over), 2-63 (van der Dussen, 15.2 over), 3-108 (Plessis, 28.3 over), 4-133 (de Kock, 35.2 over), 5-136 (Elgar, 37.4 over), 6-179 (Bavuma, 54.3 over), 7-179 (Keshav Maharaj, 58.2 over), 8-194 (George Linde, 61.2 over), 9-195 (Anrich Nortje, 64.3 over), 10-220 (Lungi Ngidi, 69.2 over)

Pakistan (1st Innings) – 378/10 (119.2)

Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Abid, 4.1 over), 2-15 (Imran, 6.4 over), 3-26 (Babar, 15.3 over), 4-27 (Shaheen, 16.2 over), 5-121 (Azhar, 53.6 over), 6-176 (Rizwan, 72.3 over), 7-278 (Fawad, 97.5 over), 8-295 (Faheem, 100.6 over), 9-323 (Hasan, 108.5 over), 10-378 (Nauman, 119.2 over)

South Africa (2nd Innings) – 187/4 (75.0)

Fall of wickets: 1-48 (Elgar, 16.1 over), 2-175 (Van der Dussen, 67.1 over), 3-185 (Plessis, 71.6 over), 4-185 (Markram, 72.3 over), 5-187(Maharaj, 75.1 over), 6-192 (de Kock, 78.2 over), 7-234 (Linde, 92.6 over), 8-238 (Rabada, 96.6 over), 9-240 (Nortje, 98.5), 10-245 (Bavuma, 100.3 over)

Pakistan (2nd Innings) – 90/3 (22.5)

Fall of wickets: 1-22 (Abid ali, 7.1 over), 2-23 (Imraun Butt, 7.6 over), 3-86 (Babar Azam, 22.1 over)

Result – Pakistan won by 7 wickets

Player of the Match – Fawad Alam

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