SA vs PAK 2024/25, SA vs PAK 2nd Test Match Report, January 03 – 07, 2025

South Africa 316 for 4 (Rickelton 176*, Bavuma 106) vs Pakistan

The pair performed completely complementary roles, with Rickelton scoring closely on the off aspect (102 of his 176 runs got here there) and Bavuma plundering the on-side. Collectively, they reeled off some beautiful drives and whereas Rickelton’s runs got here within the areas straight down the bottom, Bavuma was glorious on the flick and pull.

Abbas bowled 19.3 consecutive overs at SuperSport Park final weekend for a career-best 6 for 54 and took the brand new ball at Newlands. His first supply hit Markam on the entrance pad and Pakistan thought that they had the primary wicket. Umpire Nitin Menon was unmoved so that they reviewed however replays confirmed it was clipping the highest of off. Markram survived on umpire’s name.

Rickelton was the extra free-flowing of the opening pair and scored seven boundaries to Markram’s three, in a gap stand price 61. Rickelton supplied one likelihood in that point, when an edge off Khurram Shahzad fell in need of second slip and South Africa went on their highest first-wicket partnership since March 2023. In opposition to the run of play, Markram ultimately supplied an opportunity when drove Shahzad loosely to the substitute fielder Abdullah Shafique. After three geese within the ODIs and no recreation time since, Shafique was beneath stress and the ball went straight into and out of his palms. Markram was on 17.

No precise injury was performed as, within the subsequent over, Markram slashed at a ball that simply moved away and inside-edged by means of to Mohammad Rizwan. Abbas’ return after a seven-over break discovered Mulder’s exterior edge to provide Pakistan a second wicket. And Pakistan burgled one other on the stroke of lunch when Stubbs stayed again to a tossed-up ball from part-time spinner Salman Agha and edged to Rizwan.

Pakistan squandered the chance to maximise their benefit after the break after they caught with Aamer Jamal at one finish and Agha on the opposite as an alternative of bringing on considered one of their strike bowlers and allowed Bavuma to ease in. Bavuma bought his first runs when he steered Jamal to deep third and unfurled a sequence of attractive drives to proceed his high-quality type this summer season.

Masood introduced Mir Hamza on 5 overs after the break and Shahzad after eight overs. By then, Rickelton was into the 60s. He hit two boundaries off Shahzad’s first second-session over and the sting was taken out of Pakistan’s assault. They allowed South Africa straightforward run-scoring alternatives with the sector unfold and quite a lot of lengths.

Rickelton entered the 90s with back-to-back boundaries off Shahzad and quietly labored his approach to 99. He solely confronted one ball within the subsequent two overs as Bavuma saved strike however when Agha bowled one on his pads, he whipped it away to convey up a second hundred in three Assessments. Two overs later Bavuma introduced up fifty off 82 balls and South Africa went to tea on 184 for 3.

The night session was all South Africa as Rickelton and Bavuma stuffed their boots. Bavuma smashed the innings’ first six when he mowed Agha over mid-wicket, and Pakistan could have been left to surprise concerning the knowledge of not using a specialist spinner, even simply as a holding bowler at that time. Rickelton scored South Africa’s second six, over mid-wicket, in an over the place he took 14 runs off Jamal.

He reached 150 with a cover-driven 4 off Khurram, with Bavuma 11 away from 100. He bought there seven overs later, with a single off Jamal and ran nearly to the long-on boundary, pumping his arms in celebration earlier than swishing his bat wildly on the media finish. Bavuma’s feelings could have gotten the higher of him when he edged Agha to Rizwan 17 minutes earlier than the tip of play. Since taking on as captain, Bavuma has scored three of his 4 Check lots of and averages 57.78.

Rickleton and Bedingham noticed out the day which Pakistan ended 10 overs in need of the required 90.