South Africa secured their place in the ICC World Test Championship final for the 2023-25 cycle with a gripping two-wicket win over Pakistan in Centurion on Sunday.
In pursuit of 148, the team struggled at 99 for eight. However, Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen’s robust ninth-wicket stand led South Africa to victory, both remaining not out.
This triumph lifted South Africa to 88 points from 11 matches, enhancing their points percentage (PCT) to 66.67 and positioning them ahead of Australia (58.89) and India (55.89). These teams are currently tied in their Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
Mohammad Abbas’s compelling return to international play featured a dominant spell on the Boxing Day Test’s fourth day against South Africa. By Sunday’s lunch, South Africa was at a precarious 116/8, needing 32 more runs, while Pakistan was two wickets from victory.
The hosts had resumed at 27/3, with Aiden Markram and captain Temba Bavuma spearheading the chase. Their partnership reached 43 before Abbas dismissed Markram for 37. Soon after, Bavuma fell for 40, South Africa’s highest score in this innings. Subsequently, Pakistan’s Naseem Shah dismissed Kyle Verreynne, escalating the pressure with South Africa at 90/6. Abbas’s relentless attack brought the fall of David Bedingham and debutant Corbin Bosch, deepening the crisis at 99/8.
Despite these setbacks, Jansen and Rabada resisted, adding 17 runs by the interval, with South Africa at 116/8. At this juncture, Pakistan was dominant, with Abbas having claimed six wickets.
