Pakistan`s initial anxieties subsided following the crucial dismissals of Ryan Rickelton and Dewald Brevis, who had mounted a threatening 73-run partnership.
Pakistan 378 & 167 (Babar 42, Muthusamy 5-57, Harmer 4-51) beat South Africa 269 & 183 (Brevis 54, Rickelton 45, Afridi 4-33, Noman 4-79) by 93 runs
Ultimately, reality set in for South Africa. Chasing 276 has historically proven impossible at Gaddafi Stadium, a task made even more daunting on the rapidly deteriorating spin tracks prepared by Pakistan. Despite a tenacious effort that extended deep into the middle session, South Africa found themselves too far adrift and lost wickets too frequently. Shaheen Shah Afridi then efficiently cleaned up the tail, following vital early breakthroughs by Pakistan`s spinners, securing a dominant 93-run victory that dramatically ended South Africa`s impressive ten-Test winning streak.
Pakistan`s initial apprehension eased significantly by lunchtime, thanks to the dismissals of the dangerous Ryan Rickelton and the resilient Dewald Brevis. Both batsmen succumbed to superb deliveries from Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, respectively. Shortly after the break, Senuran Muthuswamy was trapped plumb in front. For the subsequent half-hour, the match seemed to lose its intensity as Kyle Verreynne and Simon Harmer offered some resistance without genuinely threatening the target. Pakistan`s spinners maintained a steady pressure, albeit with less bite than before the interval. Slowly, South Africa managed to surpass Pakistan`s third innings total, a rare occurrence on these tailored pitches where the fourth innings outscored the third.
However, the reintroduction of Afridi dramatically turned the tide. Bowling around the wicket, he masterfully found reverse swing with the aging ball on the worn surface. A vicious delivery dipped back into Verreynne, striking him so squarely that Afridi, confident in his appeal, didn`t even turn to confirm the umpire`s decision.
The remaining numbers 10 and 11 proved to be straightforward work for an invigorated Afridi, who capitalized on the opportunity to enhance his bowling figures in a match where his influence had previously been somewhat limited. Prenelan Subrayen and Kagiso Rabada offered no resistance to his swinging yorkers, which rattled their stumps. This moment sealed a victory that, arguably, had been shaped when Pakistan amassed a substantial first-innings total during the opening two sessions of day one.
A spirited morning session had unfolded in Lahore, largely driven by Brevis`s aggressive approach against Pakistan`s bowlers. The 22-year-old, in just his third Test, threatened to pull off an extraordinary chase with a rapid run-a-ball 54, but he was unable to maintain such a high tempo on the deteriorating subcontinent pitch. Noman Ali then seized the spotlight, achieving his third ten-wicket haul in Test cricket and firmly propelling Pakistan towards victory. By lunch, Pakistan required only four more wickets, with 139 runs left for South Africa to score.
A target of 277 has never been successfully chased in a Test match in Lahore, and that record appeared secure when the first four overs of Wednesday`s play yielded two crucial wickets for just five runs. Afridi breached Tony de Zorzi`s defense with his third ball, confirming the visitors` concerns about new batsmen struggling to find rhythm in these challenging conditions. Tristan Stubbs lasted only eight balls before attempting a reverse sweep off Noman, sending the ball to Salman Agha at slip, who now boasted an impressive five catches in the match.
South Africa`s overnight score of 51 for 2 quickly became 55 for 4 when Brevis arrived at the crease. After a brief period of acclimatization, in the 34th over, he boldly charged Noman`s half-volley and smashed it over mid-off. A slog-sweep for six and a powerful heave over midwicket for four followed, instilling the young batter with the confidence to trust his attacking instincts. The fierce battle between Brevis and Pakistan reached its peak when he brought up his half-century with a spectacular no-look six over long-on.
Noman had been the primary target of Brevis`s aggressive hitting, but the shrewd left-arm spinner understood that he only needed one perfectly placed delivery. That moment arrived in the seventh over before lunch: a ball fired into the pitch gripped effectively, turning sharply past the defending batsman and crashing into the stumps. Brevis departed having scored 54 runs off 54 balls, contributing six of South Africa`s ten fours and both of their two sixes in the final innings.
This dismissal marked Noman`s tenth wicket of the match. His spin-bowling partner, Sajid, also played a crucial role by dismissing the other well-set batsman, Ryan Rickelton, for 45 off 145 deliveries. Pakistan entered the lunch break with a dominant hold on the match, an advantage they had largely maintained since the opening day`s play.
South Africa had dedicated nearly four days to trying to erase this deficit, and while they pushed Pakistan to their limits, the challenge ultimately proved to be insurmountable, even for the world champions.
