Pakistan defeated South Africa by 93 runs in the first Test in Lahore, ending the Proteas’ remarkable ten-match winning streak in Test cricket.
South Africa, who previously triumphed over Australia in the World Test Championship final in june, where bowled out for 183 while chasing a target of 277. this result marks Pakistan’s first victory against South Africa in their new 2025-27 Test championship cycle, propelling them to second place in the standings behind Australia.
Resuming at 51-2,South Africa quickly lost first-innings centurion Tony de Zorzi,caught lbw by Shaheen Afridi on the third ball of the day,shifting the momentum in Pakistan’s favor.
Left-arm spinner Noman Ali, who finished with match figures of 10-191, dismissed Tristan Stubbs for two and bowled Dewald Brevis. Brevis showed resistance, scoring 54 runs off 54 balls.
Off-spinner sajid Khan capitalized on the turning pitch to remove Ryan Rickelton, who batted for 145 balls for 45 runs. Shaheen Afridi then returned in the afternoon session, utilizing reverse swing to dismantle the South African tail order.
Shaheen secured the win by dismissing Kyle Verreynne lbw for 19 and bowling both Prenelan subrayen and Kagiso Rabada.
Pakistan’s victory was built on solid batting performances,including a 93-run knock from opener Imam-ul-Haq and a crucial innings from Salman Agha,which helped the hosts reach 378.
The home side’s spinners, Noman and Sajid, exploited the favorable conditions, mirroring their success in the test series win against England last year.
the second and final Test of the series is scheduled to begin on October 20th.
