- Bavuma remains the top scorer with 40 points followed by Markram with 37 points.
- Tailenders Rabada and Jansen play a 51-match winning partnership.
- Naseem Shah and Khurram Shehzad pick one wicket each.
South Africa booked a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final with a brace over Pakistan with the help of Marko Janssen and Kagiso Rabada in the first Test at the SuperSports Park Cricket Ground, Centurion, on Sunday.
Mohammad Abbas’s wicket haul went in vain as South Africa kept their nerve to edge past Pakistan.
South African pacers Rabada and Janssen showed nerves of steel and formed a 51-match winning partnership to challenge Pakistan’s comeback.
The duo batted reasonably well to get their side back from 99/6 after Abbas’ six goals.
The eventful day began with the home side resuming their innings from 27/3 through Aiden Markram and skipper Temba Bavuma, as they chased down a modest 148.
The duo extended their overnight partnership to 43 runs until Abbas cleaned up Markram, who scored 37 runs from 63 deliveries with the help of six boundaries.
The returning pacer quickly got rid of South African batting mainstay Bavuma to open the floodgates.
The skipper remained top run-scorer for the Proteas Men with 40 deliveries from 78, comprising four fours and sixes.
In the next over, Naseem Shah finally opened his account by dropping wicketkeeper-batsman Kyle Vereen, who made just two.
Abbas also pushed South Africa back by dismissing David Bedingham (14) and debutant Corbin Bush (nil) in successive overs, reducing the home team to 99/8.
After the disastrous collapse, Janssen and Rabada batted well to take the home team’s total to 116/8 with a crucial 17-run partnership.
When lunch was taken, Rabada was unbeaten on 10, while Janssen had made five.
For Pakistan, Abbas took six wickets, while Naseem and Khurram Shehzad picked one.
Playing XI
Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Muhammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shehzad and Muhammad Abbas.
South Africa: Tony De Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickleton, Tristan Stubbs, Themba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Kyle Vereen, Marko Janssen, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Patterson, and Corbin Bush.