Maharaj, Harmer star with the ball as hosts are bowled out for 138, setting South Africa 68 to win the second Check.
Revealed On 23 Oct 2025
South Africa have romped to an eight-wicket win over Pakistan on the fourth day of the second cricket Check in Rawalpindi, claiming victory earlier than lunch to degree the two-match sequence.
The house aspect have been dismissed cheaply within the opening hour, collapsing from 94-4 in a single day to be all out for 138 on Thursday.
South Africa then took 12.3 overs to succeed in the 68-run goal with captain Aiden Markram scoring 42 earlier than being trapped leg earlier than wicket by Noman Ali, 4 runs from victory.
Tristan Stubbs was caught within the slips in the identical over with out scoring, leaving Ryan Rickelton (25 not out) and Tony de Zorzi, who didn’t face a ball, to finish the job.
It was the eleventh win in 12 Assessments for South Africa, with the one blemish their 93-run loss to Pakistan in final week’s first match of the sequence in Lahore.
“There have been moments the place guys needed to put their arms up and arise for the workforce they usually actually did that and excelled in that. It took a variety of confidence and a variety of perception from wins, however when your character’s examined and also you managed to come back out on the suitable aspect, I believe meaning fairly a bit extra,” stated Markram.
Simon Harmer took 6-50 as Pakistan collapsed with fellow spinner Keshav Maharaj including two extra wickets to the seven he took within the first innings.
Pakistan misplaced their final six wickets for 44 runs to proceed their development of lower-order slumps regardless of beginning the day with excessive hopes.
They wanted a significant contribution from star batsman Babar Azam, whose look on the stumps all through the sequence noticed a sudden spike in spectators and a noticeable improve in excited noise from the stands.
Babar, nonetheless, has not scored a century in his final 15 Assessments since 161 towards New Zealand in Karachi in December 2022.
He was on 49 in a single day, sharing a 34-run partnership with Mohammad Rizwan that held out promise of getting Pakistan again into the competition with six wickets in hand and a 23-run lead.
However after going to his 50 with a single off the second ball of the morning, the 31-year-old Babar was trapped leg earlier than wicket by Harmer within the first over.
After that, the house innings got here tumbling down like a pack of playing cards because the 36-year-old Harmer, who has had an extended profession in county cricket in England however solely 12 take a look at appearances, bagged his first five-wicket haul in take a look at cricket.
He had Rizwan caught at quick leg for 18 after which Noman Ali nicked behind with out scoring to mark a 1,000th first-class wicket.
“We now have quite a bit to work on,” stated residence captain Shan Masood, “with regards to decrease order batting, with regards to ending the innings off, with regards to the third innings of batting, additionally with regards to the primary innings the place we may have posted one thing north of 400 however we didn’t.”
