Tags: Pakistan tour of South Africa, 2024-25, South Africa vs Pakistan, 1st Test at Centurion, 26-30 December 2024, South Africa, Pakistan
Published on: December 27, 2024
Scorecard | Comment | Charts
The first day of the opening Test between Pakistan and South Africa at SuperSport Park witnessed an exciting game of cricket as the two teams exchanged blistering blows. After Pakistan’s batting line-up faltered at 211, the bowlers retaliated with force to leave the hosts on 82 for three stumps on Thursday.
Pakistanis Khurram Shehzad and Muhammad Abbas led the fight, destabilizing South Africa’s top order. Shahzad’s double knock, coupled with Abbas’s late breakthrough, ensured Pakistan remained firmly in contention despite a challenging day with the bat.
South Africa Dane Patterson and newcomer Corbin Bush He shined with the ball earlier in the day. Patterson, who was thriving at the age of 35, took his second successive five-wicket haul, finishing with figures of five for 61. Bosh, making his influential Test debut, complemented Patterson brilliantly by picking up four wickets for 63 runs.
The Pakistan innings found little resistance in Kamran Ghulam, whose counter-attack 54 off 71 balls injected some life into the batting effort. Ghulam played with intent, hitting boundaries to regain momentum during the Test phase against the South African bowlers. However, his dismissal marked the beginning of a rapid collapse, with Pakistan losing their last five wickets for just 29 runs.
When South Africa came out to bat, the Pakistani bowlers struck early. He sacked Shehzad Dean Elgar and Themba Bavuma in quick succession, while Abbas sacked Eden Markram late in the day. Proteas captain Heinrich Klaassen remains unbeaten with 27 goals, and he is joined by Rassie van der Dusen, who has 19 goals.
With a well-turfed pitch offering assistance to the bowlers, day two promises more excitement as Pakistan look to capitalize on early breakthroughs and South Africa aim to build a strong lead.
