Cricket Dec 07, 2025

South Africa thrash Pakistan by eight wickets to level two-Test series as Simon Harmer impresses in Rawalpindi

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
South Africa thrash Pakistan by eight wickets to level two-Test series as Simon Harmer impresses in Rawalpindi

South Africa thrashed Pakistan by eight wickets on Thursday to tie the two-Test series, with off-spinner Simon Harmer taking a six-wicket haul in Rawalpindi.

Pakistan opened the series with a , but Harmer (6-50) dismissed Pakistan for 138 on day four.

That set South Africa a target of 68 runs with the World Test Championship winners comfortably reaching 73-2 in 12.3 overs, with captain Aiden Markram (42) and Ryan Rickelton (25) leading the way.

Harmer and left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj (2-34), who missed the first Test due to injury, took 17 wickets between them in the second Test.

"After the first Test, we were put under pressure, but the guys have put their hands up and excelled," Markram said.

"Great space to be in as a team. The unit out here is one of the best. In South Africa, you'd think it's just seamers, but we are very good with the spinners as well."

Markram, who stood in the series as skipper in place of injured Temba Bavuma, was trapped lbw by Noman Ali (2-40) when his team needed only four runs for victory.

Tristan Stubbs, who scored a half-century in South Africa's first innings of 404, was out for a duck when he edged Noman to slip, before Rickelton smashed Sajid Khan (0-15) for six to secure the win.

"You have to give credit to the opposition, they have kept fighting," Pakistan captain Shan Masood said.

"Unfortunately, we didn't finish well in the first innings and the difference seeped into the third and fourth innings. We will have to look back at those chances that we missed out on.

"We are measuring against a team that has won this World Test Championship, so we can't give them chances."

Harmer became only the third South African bowler to reach the 1,000-wicket milestone in first-class cricket when he had Noman caught behind for a duck, with Pakistan's second innings collapsing in just over an hour.

Babar Azam (50) and Mohammad Rizwan (18) helped lift Pakistan from 94-4, but both fell to Harmer inside off-spinner's first three overs of the morning.

Babar, 49 overnight, completed his first half-century of the series with a single before he was trapped lbw. The former Test captain hasn't scored a century since December 2022 in this format.

Salman Ali Agha hit 28 off 42 balls but chopped Maharaj back onto his stumps before the left-armer had Sajid (13) stumped to mop up Pakistan's tail.

The two teams will now compete in a three-match T20 series, starting in Rawalpindi next Tuesday, followed by as many ODI games in Faisalabad from November 4-8.

Tags:

cricket news id:13455683

Share this article

Related Posts

James Rew: England wicketkeeper dealt tough hand on Test debut at The Oval

James Rew: England wicketkeeper dealt tough hand on Test debut at The Oval

James Rew's keeping came under scrutiny as New Zealand racked up the runs on day three of the second Test at The Oval due to a couple of key errors be...

England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt to miss next two Women's T20 World Cup matches with calf injury

England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt to miss next two Women's T20 World Cup matches with calf injury

England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt has been ruled out of her side's next two matches at the Women's T20 World Cup with a calf injury sustained in Tuesda...

Jofra Archer: England fast bowler's fiery spell to Glenn Phillips lights up The Oval on day one of second Test

Jofra Archer: England fast bowler's fiery spell to Glenn Phillips lights up The Oval on day one of second Test

Jofra Archer showed no signs of rust as he made his England Test return, the pacer producing a box-office, fiery eight-over spell of short-pitched bow...

England Women's Test squad to face India: Tammy Beaumont returns for inaugural Lord's Test match but no white-ball vice-captain Charlie Dean

England Women's Test squad to face India: Tammy Beaumont returns for inaugural Lord's Test match but no white-ball vice-captain Charlie Dean

Tammy Beaumont returns for England's inaugural Lord's Test match against India this July after being left out of the T20 World Cup squad, but there is...

Women’s T20 World Cup: Australia beat Netherlands by 98 runs to continue unbeaten start to tournament

Women’s T20 World Cup: Australia beat Netherlands by 98 runs to continue unbeaten start to tournament

Australia maintained their winning start to the ICC Women's T20 World Cup with a comfortable 98-run win over the Netherlands at the Hampshire Bowl.Aft...

Ben Stokes: Dropped Test captain just five runs short of century on return to Durham as England struggle

Ben Stokes: Dropped Test captain just five runs short of century on return to Durham as England struggle

Ben Stokes fell just five runs short of a century on his return to Durham after he was dropped by England, who are struggling in the second Test again...