Pakistan vs South Africa: Pakistan Hammer the Defending Champions to Launch WTC Campaign in Style
Pakistan opened their World Test Championship 2025–27 journey with a statement win, crushing South Africa by 93 runs in Lahore on Wednesday. A victory built on grit, spin, and precision.
The hosts, fuelled by Noman Ali’s masterclass with the ball, dismantled the Proteas for just 183 in their second innings. Chasing 277 to win, South Africa never truly got going. The collapse was swift. Brutal. And telling.
Left-arm spinner Noman Ali was sensational yet again, taking another five-wicket haul and ending with ten wickets in the match, a performance that left the Lahore crowd roaring.
His relentless accuracy and clever variations tore through South Africa’s batting order.
Pakistan take charge!
A dominant performance in Lahore sees them beat South Africa to go 1-0 up in the 2-match Test series.
PAK – 378 & 167
SA – 269 & 183#PAKvSA #TestCricket pic.twitter.com/FhFXERUKSJ— ThePapare (@ThePapareSports) October 15, 2025
Sajid Khan and Shaheen Afridi complemented him beautifully. Sajid chipped in with key middle-order scalps, while Shaheen, with his signature pace and swing, finished off the tail in fiery fashion, four wickets for just 33 runs.
The visitors began their chase in chaos. Skipper Aiden Markram fell early, undone by Noman for just 3. Soon after, Wiaan Mulder followed, trapped without scoring.
A brief partnership between Ryan Rickelton and Tony de Zorzi steadied things momentarily, but it was never enough.
On the fourth morning, Shaheen Afridi struck immediately, removing de Zorzi. Moments later, Noman sent back Tristan Stubbs, leaving South Africa wobbling at 51 for 3.
There was some resistance. Dewald Brevis brought life into the innings with a brisk 54 off 54 balls. He counterattacked. Confident shots. Positive intent.
Alongside Rickelton, he added 50 runs, hinting at a fightback, until Noman once again broke the stand, crushing any hope of revival.
From there, it was a matter of time. Sajid Khan dismissed both Rickelton and Muthusamy. Shaheen cleaned up the rest. Pakistan sealed the deal emphatically.
Earlier, Pakistan’s first innings total of 378 set the stage for dominance. Solid contributions came from across the board, Imam-ul-Haq (93), Salman Ali Agha (93), Shan Masood (76), and Mohammad Rizwan (75) all chipped in. A collective effort.
Senuran Muthusamy was South Africa’s lone warrior with the ball, claiming 6 for 117.
In reply, South Africa managed 269, thanks to Tony de Zorzi’s fighting century and Rickelton’s 71. But Noman’s six-wicket burst dismantled them, handing Pakistan a 109-run lead that proved decisive.
Despite a modest 167 in their second innings, Pakistan’s total of 277 was more than enough. Babar Azam (42), Abdullah Shafique (41), and Saud Shakeel (38) ensured the hosts had a competitive cushion.
Muthusamy shone again with figures of 5 for 57, but it wasn’t enough to stop the inevitable.
With this victory, Pakistan lead the two-match series 1–0 and sit comfortably on the updated World Test Championship points table.
A dominant home start against the reigning champions, and a reminder to the cricketing world that Pakistan, when playing at home, is a force not to be taken lightly.
South Africa, meanwhile, will be desperate to regroup before the second Test.
Pakistan’s mix of experienced spin, raw pace, and balanced batting has sent a clear message: they mean business in this WTC cycle.
