- Scorecard is available here
Centurion, 28 December 2024: Pakistan needed seven wickets while South Africa required 121 runs to win the Centurion Test as only 46.4 overs were possible on a truncated third day here at the SuperSport Park on Saturday.
In pursuit of a slender 148-run target South Africa slipped to 27-3 in 9 overs before bad light forced an early close of play. Mohammad Abbas (4-3-3-2) and Khurram Shahzad (5-0-22-1) shared the three South Africa wickets to fall while.
Abbas pinned Tony de Zorzi leg-before to draw the first blood for Pakistan with 11 runs on the board in the fourth over. Khurram struck Ryan Rickelton (five-ball duck) on the pads in the next over to remove him reducing South Africa 12-2.
Abbas got the better of Tristan Stubbs for a solitary run off 10 balls when he was adjudged leg-before in the eighth over. Skipper Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram (22 not out, 25b, 4x4s) will be on the crease when South Africa resume their batting on day four.
Earlier, Pakistan managed to add 149 runs to their overnight score of 88-3 as they lost seven wickets, extending their lead to 147. After the rain forced late start to the day, Babar Azam, who brought up his 27th Test half-century, fell to Marco Jansen having faced 85 balls for 50 runs, inclusive of nine fours.
After Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha were snapped by Jansen for three and one, respectively, Aamir Jamal added valuable 32 runs for the seventh-wicket with Saud Shakeel. Aamir (18, 32b, 2x4s) and Naseem fell in the 50th and 51st over while Pakistan’s top scorer, Saud, returned to the pavilion for a 113-ball 84 hitting 10 fours and one six as Pakistan were bundled out for 237 in 59.4 overs in their second innings.
Jansen was the pick of South Africa’s bowlers as he returned figures of 6-52 in 14 overs while Kagiso Rabada picked up two wickets. Corbin Bosch and Dane Paterson dismissed one batter each.
Scores in brief:
Day 3 of 5 – South Africa require 121 runs to win with seven wickets in hand at the SuperSport Park, Centurion
Pakistan 211 all out, 57.3 overs (Kamran Ghulam 54, Aamir Jamal 28, Mohammad Rizwan 27; Dane Peterson 5-61, Corbin Bosch 4-63) and 237 all out, 59.4 overs (Saud Shakeel 84, Babar Azam 50, Shan Masood 28, Saim Ayub 27; Marco Jansen 6-52, Kagiso Rabada 2-68)
South Africa 301 all out, 73.4 overs (Aiden Markram 89, Corbin Bosch 81 not out, Temba Bavuma 31, David Bedingham 30; Khurram Shahzad 3-75, Naseem Shah 3-92, Aamir Jamal 2-36) and 27-3, 9 overs (Aiden Markram 22 not out; Mohammad Abbas 2-3, Khurram Shahzad 1-22)
