By Aljazeera
South Africa tailenders Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen have hung in against relentless fast bowler Mohammad Abbas for a tense two-wicket win in the first Test in Centurion to seal the Proteas’ place in next year’s World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Jansen (16 not out) overshadowed Abbas’s brilliant figures of 6-54 on Sunday with a square driven boundary against the fast bowler as South Africa reached 150-8 just after lunch on Day 4 and escaped with a close win in the opener of the two-match series.
“Quite an emotional moment for me, good advert for Test cricket,” said South Africa captain Temba Bavuma, who made 40.
“We haven’t been ruthless but have found a way to ensure the result was on our side. Lot of joy and happiness on our side, a bit of a roller-coaster, glad that we were able to get the result.”
CENTURION, SOUTH AFRICA – DECEMBER 29: Kagiso Rabada of South Africa and Marco Jansen of South Africa during day 4 of the 1st Test match between South Africa and Pakistan at SuperSport Park on December 29, 2024 in Centurion, South Africa. (Photo by Christiaan Kotze/Gallo Images)
Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen of South Africa defy the Pakistan attack to see their team home [Christiaan Kotze/Gallo Images]
Abbas, making a comeback after more than three years in the Test wilderness, had knocked back South Africa’s tricky chase of 148 runs in a marathon 13-over spell before lunch as the home team limped to 99-8, losing four wickets for three runs.
However, Rabada changed gears in an unbroken 51-run stand with Jansen and made an unbeaten 31 off 26 balls with five fours to seal a memorable victory and denied Pakistan its first Test win in South Africa in almost 18 years.
