South Africa and Pakistan are gearing up for an intense showdown in the second and final Test of the series at the iconic Newlands Stadium in Cape Town. The Proteas, riding high after a nail-biting victory in the first Test at Centurion, are eager to secure a clean sweep in the two-match series.
The home side displayed remarkable resilience and tactical acumen to edge out Pakistan in the series opener, gaining a 1-0 lead. Buoyed by the home crowd and the momentum from their thrilling win, South Africa will be determined to dominate the final clash and seal the series in emphatic fashion.
For Pakistan, the stakes could not be higher. Facing a must-win scenario, the visitors are under pressure to deliver a strong performance to level the series. After falling short in the first Test, the team will need their key players to step up and execute their plans flawlessly to keep their hopes alive.
SA vs PAK Head-to-head record in Test cricket:
- Test matches played: 29
- South Africa won: 16
- Pakistan won: 6
- Drawn matches: 7
- South Africa’s highest total against Pakistan: 620/7d
- South Africa’s lowest total against Pakistan: 124
- Pakistan’s highest total against South Africa: 456
- Pakistan’s lowest total against South Africa: 49
Test stats and records at Newlands Cricket Stadium
- Total Matches: 61
- Matches won batting first: 23
- Matches won bowling first: 26
- Average 1st innings Score: 321
- Average 2nd innings Score: 290
- Average 3rd innings Score: 233
- Average 4th innings Score: 161
- Highest total recorded: 651/10 (154.3 Ovs) By SA vs AUS
- Lowest total recorded: 35/10 (22.4 Ovs) By SA vs ENG
Also READ: Fans go crazy as South Africa beat Pakistan in a thrilling Boxing Day Test to secure WTC final berth
Newlands Pitch Report:
The Newlands Cricket Ground is renowned for its fast and bouncy surface. Initially, the new ball is likely to favour the fast bowlers, but as the match progresses, the pitch is expected to slow down, bringing spinners into the game. The captain winning the toss might opt to bat first to take advantage of the favourable early batting conditions.
Squads:
Pakistan: Shan Masood (c), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha, Aamer Jamal, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Abdullah Shafique, Mir Hamza, Noman Ali, Haseebullah Khan
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (c), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Keshav Maharaj, Matthew Breetzke, Kwena Maphaka
Also WATCH: Mohammad Abbas cleans up Aiden Markram with a beauty on Day 4 of Boxing Day Test – SA vs PAK
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