As South Africa defeated Pakistan by two wickets on Sunday to win an exciting first Test at Centurion and secure a spot in the World Test Championship final the following year, fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen became batting heroes.
Mohammed Abbas got six wickets as he tore through the home batting order, but Rabada and Jansen’s undefeated stand of 31 and 16 off 50 balls saw South Africa cross the finish line and deny Pakistan a thrilling comeback triumph.
After South Africa fell sharply before lunch and with Pakistan on the cusp of victory, the Test ended more like a Twenty20 match thanks to the tailenders.
However, Jansen’s elegant drive to the boundary to deliver the winning runs made Rabada, the second-best test bowler, an unlikely batting hero.
As South Africa struggled to reach a modest goal of 148, Abbas, who had been out of the game for three years, had pushed Pakistan close with four wickets in a lengthy session of 13 consecutive overs before lunch.
With 50 runs needed and six wickets remaining, Abbas, whose total numbers were 6-54 from 19.3 overs, orchestrated a stunning collapse after South Africa appeared to be on track for a straightforward victory.
The lucky dismissal of skipper Temba Bavuma for 40 was part of his haul. He walked after believing he had edged the ball behind to the wicketkeeper, but he will regret not reexamining the judgment because the television replays showed it had touched his pocket instead of his bat during the passage.
Abbas also had David Bedingham and Corbin Bosch caught behind after bowling Aiden Markram. Bosch went first ball to help South Africa fall from 96-4 to 99-8.
After winning two test series in Bangladesh and then at home against Sri Lanka last month, South Africa has now won six straight Test matches. They will host Pakistan in the second Test at Newlands on Friday.
After defeating Sri Lanka in Gqeberha, they topped the WTC rankings, but they needed to defeat Pakistan in a set of Test matches to guarantee a spot in the final, which would take place at Lords from June 11–15.
