RAWALPINDI: Off-spinner Simon Harmer completed 1,000 first-class wickets on his way to career-best figures of six for 50, inspiring South Africa to an eight-wicket victory over Pakistan in the second cricket Test and levelling the two-match ICC World Test Championship series 1–1.

Pakistan, resuming with their backs against the wall at 94 for four, were spun out for 138, adding just 44 runs in 14.3 overs on the penultimate morning at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. South Africa, set a modest 68-run target, coasted home in style, with captain Aiden Markram scoring 42 and Ryan Rickelton remaining unbeaten on 25.

Noman Ali picked up both wickets to fall — Markram and Tristan Stubbs — to finish with two for 40.

The victory was particularly sweet for South Africa, who had been reeling at 235 for eight in reply to Pakistan’s 333 before a heroic lower-order fightback led by Senuran Muthusamy (89 not out), Kagiso Rabada (71) and Keshav Maharaj (30) added 169 runs for the last two wickets, securing an unlikely 71-run first-innings lead.

Harmer, who had taken three wickets overnight, added the scalps of Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Noman Ali to finish with impressive figures of 20–5–50–6.
Babar, resuming on 49, was trapped lbw for 50, Rizwan was caught at short leg for 18, and Noman was caught behind without scoring.

Maharaj, who had tormented Pakistan in the first innings with seven for 102, chipped in again with two for 34, removing Salman Ali Agha (28) and Sajid Khan (13). Shaheen Shah Afridi was run out, while Abdullah Shafique had been dismissed by Rabada late on the third evening.

Pakistan’s spinless lower-order batting once again proved their undoing. In the first Test in Lahore, they lost five for 16 in the first innings and six for 17 in the second but still managed to win by 93 runs. In Rawalpindi, they lost four for 12 in the first innings, while their last six wickets in the second innings contributed only 42 runs.

This was South Africa’s first Test victory in Pakistan since October 2007, when they won by 160 runs in Karachi. For Pakistan, it was their ninth defeat in 21 home Tests (with eight wins) since international red-ball cricket returned to the country in late 2019. Since the home series against Australia in March 2022, Pakistan have played 16 home Tests, losing eight and winning four — two against England and one each against the West Indies and South Africa.

Shan Masood’s captaincy record also took another hit; he has now lost 10 Tests and won four. Although he scored two half-centuries in the series, his Category D central contract status and Pakistan’s recent results mean this could well be his final Test appearance, along with head coach Azhar Mahmood, who is expected to complete his PCB contract before a potential reshuffle.

With the series drawn 1–1, both teams earned 12 ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 points apiece. South Africa’s next assignment will be a two-Test tour of India next month, while Pakistan will next play Bangladesh away in March 2026, before touring the West Indies and England in the summer of 2026.

Scores in brief (Day 4 of 5):

PAKISTAN — 333 all out in 113.4 overs (Shan Masood 87, Saud Shakeel 66, Abdullah Shafique 57, Salman Ali Agha 45; Keshav Maharaj 7–102, Simon Harmer 2–75)
and 138 all out (Babar Azam 50, Salman Ali Agha 28; Simon Harmer 6–50, Keshav Maharaj 2–34)

SOUTH AFRICA — 404 all out in 119.3 overs (Senuran Muthusamy 89*, Tristan Stubbs 76, Kagiso Rabada 71, Tony de Zorzi 55, Aiden Markram 32, Keshav Maharaj 30; Asif Afridi 6–79, Noman Ali 2–92) and 73–2 (Aiden Markram 42, Ryan Rickelton 25*; Noman Ali 2–40)