Level two-match series
\nSouth African batters chase down 68-run target after Pakistan batting falters in morning session on Day 4
\n Rawalpindi
\nSouth Africa beat Pakistan by eight wickets in the second Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday to level a two-match series 1-1.
\nChasing a meager 68-run target, the visitors got over the line with eight wickets to spare. Captain Aiden Markram made 42 before being dismissed by Noman Ali, who also removed Tristan Stubbs (0) in the same over.
\nResuming Day 4 on 94-4, Pakistan\u2019s batters folded, adding just 44 runs. Off-spinner Simon Harmer took six wickets to help dismiss Pakistan for 138. The 36-year-old finished with 6-50 for a maiden five-wicket haul \u2014 also completing 1,000 first-class wickets \u2014 on a deteriorating Rawalpindi stadium pitch.
\nHarmer jolted Pakistan\u2019s hopes of saving the Test when he trapped Babar Azam leg-before with the fifth ball of the day after the batsman had reached his 30th Test half-century.
\nPakistan\u2019s hopes had rested on Azam ending his century drought, having not scored a ton since December 2022.
\nNine runs later, Harmer had Mohammad Rizwan caught by close-in fielder Tony de Zorzi for 18.
\nIn his next over, the spinner dismissed Noman for nought, caught behind for Harmer\u00b4s 1,000th wicket in his 235th first-class match.
\nShaheen Shah Afridi was run out without scoring, while Keshav Maharaj dismissed Salman Agha for 28 and Sajid Khan for 13 to swiftly wrap up the innings.
\nIn their first innings, Pakistan were bundled out for 333, with skipper Shan Masood top-scoring with 87 Saud Shakeel contributed 66. For South Africa, Maharaj finished with brilliant figures of 7\/102 in 42.4 overs, while Harmer claimed two wickets and Kagiso Rabada picked up one.
\nIn response to Pakistan\u2019s first-innings total, South Africa posted 404 runs, thanks to outstanding contributions from Senuran Muthusamy and Rabada.
\nMuthusamy made a career-best 89* while Rabada scored 71 off 61 balls. For Pakistan, Asif Afridi finished with figures of 6\/79 in 34.3 overs, followed by Noman with two wickets, while Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sajid Khan picked up one wicket each.
\nMaharaj was declared man of the match while Muthusamy was adjudged player of the series.
\nPakistan had won the first match of the series \u2014 part of the ICC Championship 2025-27 \u2014 by 93 runs at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Level two-match series South African batters chase down 68-run target after Pakistan batting falters in morning session on Day 4 Rawalpindi South Africa beat Pakistan by eight wickets in the second Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday to level a two-match series 1-1. Chasing a meager 68-run target, the visitors got over the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":510534,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-510506","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n