CENTURION, Dec 29:
In a thrilling contest, South Africa’s tailenders Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen persevered against the relentless Mohammad Abbas, clinching a narrow two-wicket victory in the first Test on Sunday. This win secured the Proteas’ spot in the World Test Championship final scheduled for next year.
Jansen, who remained not out on 16, made an impressive square drive off Abbas, overshadowing the bowler’s remarkable figures of 6 for 54, as South Africa reached 150 for 8 shortly after lunch on Day 4, narrowly escaping with a win in the opening match of the two-match series.
“It was quite an emotional moment for me, a great advertisement for Test cricket,” reflected South African captain Temba Bavuma, who scored 40 runs. “We haven’t been as ruthless as we could be, but we found a way to ensure the result was in our favor. There’s a lot of joy and happiness on our side; it’s been a rollercoaster ride, and I’m glad we managed to secure the win.”
Returning to the fold after over three years, Abbas made a significant impact, reducing South Africa’s challenging chase of 148 runs to a precarious 99 for 8 with a remarkable 13-over spell before the lunch break on Day 4.
However, Rabada, alongside Jansen, shifted the momentum with an unbroken 51-run partnership, scoring an unbeaten 31 off 26 balls, thus sealing a memorable win and denying Pakistan their first Test victory in South Africa in almost 18 years.
The Proteas began their World Test Championship campaign with a 1-1 draw against India and a 2-0 defeat in New Zealand. Since then, they have triumphed over West Indies, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, standing strong at the top of the table.
“The WTC final means a lot, not just to me but also to the team and the coach,” Bavuma expressed. “Considering how we started the campaign against India and New Zealand, many didn’t give us a chance after those shaky performances.”
Among the other contenders for next June’s WTC final at Lord’s are India, Australia, and Sri Lanka.
Bavuma (40) and Aiden Markram (37) displayed resilience against Abbas after South Africa resumed at a shaky 27-3, still needing 121 runs for victory.
However, a controversial dismissal of Bavuma triggered a collapse in the latter part of the first session, with Abbas claiming three wickets in a span of six balls, contributing to the home team’s disarray.
Despite replays suggesting that Abbas’ delivery merely grazed Bavuma’s pocket without touching the inside edge of the bat, the South African skipper opted not to call for a review and walked back to the pavilion.
Abbas continued his impressive spell, bowling a marathon of 13 overs, while Markram and Bavuma fended off eight overs from other fast bowlers before the breakthrough came after the first drinks break.
Abbas finally claimed Markram’s wicket, beating the outside edge and bowling him out. Bavuma managed to survive a few close calls early on, successfully overturning an lbw decision against him and witnessing Naseem Shah dropping a sharp catch due to overstepping the boundary cushion.
After being in control at 96-4, South Africa faced a sudden collapse with Bavuma’s dismissal, as Abbas took the wickets of David Bedingham (14) and Corbin Bosch (0) in consecutive deliveries while Kyle Verreynne fell victim to Naseem Shah.
Rabada’s edge narrowly missed the wicketkeeper after lunch, but both tailenders held their nerve to lead the team to victory.
“I’m extremely proud of the team’s efforts, but we need to be more ruthless moving forward,” said Pakistan captain Shan Masood. “We have to learn from our mistakes and seize crucial moments.”
The second Test is set to begin in Cape Town on Friday. (AP)
