LAHORE: When Pakistan take on South Africa in the second Test in Rawalpindi on Monday, they will have a great opportunity to send a clear message to the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 participants — that they are serious contenders for a place in the 2027 final in England.

Having defeated the reigning World Test Championship winners in the opening Test, Pakistan will be eager to seal the series 2-0 – their first of six series in the cycle. With upcoming contests against Bangladesh, West Indies, England, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand, a clean sweep here would put them in a strong position to stake an early claim for a spot in the title showdown less than two years away.

Pakistan showcased their all-round skills in the first Test in Lahore, where they sealed victory by 93 runs with a day to spare.The spin duo of Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan shared 15 wickets, while Shaheen Shah Afridi produced a fiery spell in the second innings, claiming four for 33. All frontline batters contributed meaningfully: Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Shan Masood, and Mohammad Rizwan all scored half-centuries. Babar Azam showed glimpses of his trademark class with knocks of 23 and 42, while Abdullah Shafique and Saud Shakeel chipped in with 41 and 38, respectively, in the second innings.

Despite these impressive individual performances, which also offered reassurance that Pakistan’s white-ball specialists are regaining form and match fitness, the team will return to Rawalpindi with mixed feelings.

Fifteen months ago, Pakistan began their 2024-25 season at the same venue with back-to-back defeats against Bangladesh before overpowering England — the same side that had mauled them in the 2021 Test after piling up 506 for four on the opening day.

However, when Pakistan and South Africa last met at Rawalpindi in 2021, the hosts recorded a 95-run win despite Aiden Markram’s second-innings century. That victory was built on Hasan Ali’s twin five-wicket hauls, Mohammad Rizwan’s second-innings hundred, and Shaheen Shah Afridi’s four wickets in the fourth innings.

Expecting another spin-friendly surface this time, South Africa are likely to bring in Keshav Maharaj and Marco Jansen in place of Prenelan Subrayen and Wiaan Mulder, respectively.

“We’re expecting more spin,” Markram said at his pre-match media conference. “The wicket looks pretty good to the eye, but we expect it to turn. We’ve anticipated these types of conditions from day one.

“It’s about having done our homework after that first game and coming up with new plans to hopefully counter those conditions. I think conditions will be different from the last Test we played here in 2021, so it’s about assessing quickly and backing the plans you have as a batsman.”

The opener also confirmed the availability of Keshav Maharaj, who missed the first Test as part of his post-groin injury recovery plan after playing a couple of domestic matches. The 35-year-old has taken 203 wickets in 59 Tests.

“Keshav is available — that’s why he’s here,” Markram confirmed. “It’s great to have him back in the camp. He brings a lot of experience and excellent skillsets.

For us, it’s very important to try to level the series. We’re looking forward to this game — an opportunity to square things up, but also to keep improving in these conditions and fixing areas we identified from the first Test.”

Pakistan’s interim head coach Azhar Mahmood expressed optimism that his side will not repeat the mistakes made in Lahore.

“We are playing against the WTC champions and cannot afford to let opportunities slip away. If we want to excel in the WTC, we must build on our dominance and look to close out matches.

“We lost six wickets for 17 runs in the second innings, which was unacceptable as the pitch was decent to bat on. We realise this and must seize the initiative, as teams like South Africa rarely allow you to get back into the game.”

Azhar said he was pleased with the contributions of his key players but urged the lower order to add more value.

“Out of our seven main batters, four performed in the first innings and three in the second. What I’d like to see is our lower order contributing more with the bat, just like the South Africans.”

He added that while the toss could be significant, Pakistan’s focus would remain on strong execution.

“Even if we don’t win the toss, our aim will be to post around 350 to stay competitive. We’ll take it session by session and build from there.

“This team has been playing together for some time, and the morale is high. The win in Lahore was crucial for our confidence, and we’ll look to carry that momentum into this match.”