South Africa beat Pakistan by 8 wickets in Rawalpindi Test:Muthusamy’s 89* powers Proteas victory despite Babar’s half-century; Keshav Maharaj awarded POTM

South Africa, the reigning World Test Champions, defeated Pakistan by 8 wickets in the second Test at Rawalpindi, levelling the two-match series 1-1. With this victory, the series ended in a draw, leaving both teams sharing the spoils. The match saw brilliant performances from South Africa’s spinners, with Keshav Maharaj named Player of the Match and Senuran Muthusamy earning Player of the Series honours. Pakistan batted first and posted 333 runs in their opening innings. South Africa responded strongly, scoring 404 runs to take a 71-run lead. However, it was Pakistan’s second innings on the fourth day that completely changed the game. The home side collapsed for just 138 runs, handing South Africa an easy target of 68 runs, which they achieved for the loss of two wickets. The match highlighted South Africa’s dominance in both batting and bowling, particularly through their spin attack. Maharaj was the star with the ball, taking 7 wickets in the first innings and 2 more in the second, while also contributing 30 runs with the bat. Senuran Muthusamy was consistent throughout the series, taking 11 wickets and scoring 106 runs, earning him the Player of the Series award. Babar Azam’s fifty fails to stop the collapse Pakistan started the fourth day with hope, as captain Babar Azam was unbeaten on 49 overnight. He completed his first home Test fifty since 2022 with a boundary but was soon dismissed LBW by Simon Harmer. Following Babar’s departure, Pakistan’s innings fell apart. Four wickets fell for just 9 runs, with Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Ali Agha, and Sajid Khan all departing quickly. Harmer shone with six wickets in the match and also reached the milestone of 1,000 first-class wickets, becoming only the fourth South African bowler to achieve this feat. Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj supported him well in the second innings, picking up one and two wickets respectively. South Africa chase down target easily Chasing 68 runs for victory, South Africa reached the target comfortably in 12.3 overs. Captain Aiden Markram played a solid innings of 42 runs off 45 balls, while Ryan Rickelton remained unbeaten on 25 runs. Noman Ali claimed both wickets, but the target never looked in doubt for the visitors.