South Africa 615 (Rickelton, Bavuma 106, Verreynne 100, Abbas 3-94) and 61 for no defeat (Bedingham 47*) beat Pakistan 194 (Babar 58, Rabada 3-55) and 478 (Masood 145, Babar 81, Rabada 3-115) by ten wickets
South Africa marked their qualification for the WTC final in style, securing a ten-wicket victory over Pakistan. It was their seventh consecutive Test victory, and it came after two and a half days of toiling with the ball before finally dismissing Pakistan for 478 in the third innings. A valiant century from Pakistan captain Shan Masood and numerous other contributions forced South Africa to strike again as the visitors overcame the second highest first innings deficit in Test history. However, the target – 58 – was little more than a formality, and South Africa took 7.1 overs to reach it.
But Pakistan made them wait for victory. When South Africa enforced the follow-up by leading by 421 on Sunday afternoon, they did not expect to have to bowl another 122.1 overs. Masood, unbeaten overnight on 102 runs, went on and tried to rebuild after a huge 205-run opening stand with Babar Azam. South Africa were frustrated for much of the day, including an 88-run stand between Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha in the afternoon. But Keshav Maharaj, who had been denied for most of the day, found the breakthrough, and regular wickets then ensured a finish in the late evening sun.
Earlier in the day, Marco Jansen sent out night watchman Khurram Shahzad before Rabada cleared Kamran Ghulam. Maharaj more or less played throughout the session, interrupted only when he changed sides at some point. His variations in pace and flight, along with a ball that kept spinning, posed the biggest threat to the batters, but the wickets kept pace.
Shahzad had done his job and never really seemed equipped to continue for too long. When a long ball from Jansen became too big for him, he sent it straight to Maharaj at point. Ghulam never really seemed to settle down, keeping the slip cord interested throughout his innings. He should have been on his way without scoring when, as Shahzad fell, he hit one wide, but it burst into the hands of David Bedingham at first slip.
But that wicket was still coming. Rabada’s growing frustration with his lack of wicket and general indiscipline – he bowled four more no-balls this morning – was growing. Just after crossing the boundary, he found a beauty who pinched Ghulam’s seam, reattaching his middle stump. It was a great way to talk about his 50th Test wicket at Newlands, with the roar that followed making it clear just how much it meant to him.
Saud Shakeel and Masood continued to make South Africa work for every scalp, and yet South Africa could have eaten one more before lunch. Kwena Maphaka took on Shakeel with a fine delivery which straightened out as it hit the pad, only for South Africa to choose not to review. While Shakeel received extensive treatment for the blow, Hawk-Eye was shown to hit a leg stump.
Masood’s vigil on the field ended in somewhat controversial circumstances. Maphaka got one to shape the seam that remained low before cannoning into the batter’s front pad. Umpire Nitin Menon felt he was missing stump, but when South Africa looked at it, Hawk-Eye showed he was hitting. This provoked a furious reaction from Masood, whose protests continued throughout his slow walk off the field and into the dressing room.
It capped off a brilliant first hour after lunch for South Africa. Shakeel had been run out shortly after play resumed, the same way he had fallen in the first innings: by sinking into the slips while driving to Rabada. With Masood gone, Pakistan was in danger of collapsing, as it has tended to do recently.
But Agha and Rizwan rebuilt once again. They wiped the shine off the second new ball and continued to spin the strike. There were only three fours in the first 55 runs of the partnership as Pakistan looked to milk the tiring bowlers, but when Mulder erred, Agha was quick to put him away for two fours in three balls.
The two continued as Pakistan erased the deficit, but soon Rizwan pushed Maharaj into cover, precisely where Bavuma had placed a defender for the shot, and South African nerves began to relax once moreover.
Agha, having been pardoned by the DRS, fell quickly after – two runs short of his half-century – when a Maharaj delivery ripped and bounced, drawing a clean catch for Aiden Markram at the slips. Mir Hamza came out and had a bit of fun, including a heave over the bowler’s head for all six innings. But it wasn’t built to last. Aamer Jamal swept Maharaj to slip before Rabada ended the innings, and Bedingham and Markram sprinted off the field.
Six years ago, on this same ground, Pakistan’s third innings ended on the third evening, with South Africa needing 41 to wrap up the series. Stumps were called and the match ended on the fourth morning.
This time, the South African openers did not let the match continue the next day. Bedingham provided a shot in the arm with an eye-catching short knock – an unbeaten 47 off 30 – which ensured South Africa needed just 43 balls to seal a victory which, despite a very long wait on the field, was finally routine.
Danyal Rasool is the Pakistan correspondent for PK Press Club. @Danny61000
