Pakistan delivered a resounding statement in the opening Test of their World Test Championship campaign, toppling reigning champions South Africa by 93 runs in a gripping encounter at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. The match, which concluded on October 15, 2025, not only snapped South Africa’s impressive 10-match winning streak but also showcased the enduring art of spin bowling on a surface tailor-made for turn and guile.
Set a challenging target of 277 runs, South Africa’s hopes flickered briefly before being extinguished for 183 in the afternoon session of day four. It was the 39-year-old left-arm spinner Noman Ali who emerged as the chief architect of Pakistan’s victory, claiming 4-79 in the second innings and a match haul of 10-191—his third instance of taking ten wickets or more in a Test. The veteran’s relentless accuracy and ability to exploit the deteriorating pitch proved too much for the visitors, whose own spinners also left an indelible mark on the contest.
From the outset, the Gaddafi Stadium’s surface made its intentions clear: this was a spinner’s paradise. By the end of the match, spinners from both sides had accounted for a staggering 34 wickets, with only six falling to the fast bowlers. South African left-armer Senuran Muthusamy was equally exceptional, finishing with figures of 11-174—a career-best performance that, in most other matches, would have been enough to swing the result his team’s way.
Pakistan’s journey to victory began with a robust first-innings total of 378, built around a crucial 163-run partnership between Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha for the sixth wicket. South Africa, led by Tony de Zorzi’s determined 104, responded with 269, conceding a significant 109-run deficit. The home side’s second innings, however, was less assured; a collapse saw them bundled out for 167, setting South Africa a tricky but not insurmountable chase on a surface growing more treacherous by the hour.
“We won the Test match and it’s gone exactly to plan,” Pakistan captain Shan Masood declared after the final wicket fell. Masood, who now boasts four wins in 13 Tests as captain, was candid in his post-match assessment: “The spinners came into play, reverse swing helped the bowlers do their job today and the batters did well enough, but we still have a lot of challenges in the middle order. We lost 11-37 over the course of two innings, which is not good, we must overcome that.”
On the final day, South Africa resumed at 51-2, needing 226 more runs for victory. The morning session saw fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi strike early, trapping Tony de Zorzi for 16 with a sharp delivery. Tristan Stubbs, under pressure from the relentless spin, succumbed to a premeditated reverse sweep, gifting Salman Agha a comfortable catch off Noman. Yet, Dewald Brevis and Ryan Rickelton offered hope with a spirited 73-run partnership. Brevis, playing just his third Test, dazzled with a run-a-ball 54, peppered with six fours and two majestic sixes off Noman. His aggression, however, was undone by a sharply turning delivery from the left-armer, bowling him just as he looked set to take the game away from Pakistan.
Rickelton, meanwhile, anchored the innings with a gritty 45 off 145 balls, his resistance finally broken by Sajid Khan just before lunch. The writing was on the wall as South Africa limped to 137-6 at the interval. Sajid struck again soon after the break, trapping Muthusamy lbw for six, before Afridi returned to mop up the tail, dismissing Kyle Verreynne, Prenelan Subrayen, and Kagiso Rabada to finish with 4-33.
Despite the result, South African captain Aiden Markram was philosophical in defeat. “They (Pakistan) had a really good partnership in the first innings when we had them five wickets down,” Markram reflected, referencing Rizwan and Agha’s crucial stand. “We probably could have scored a few more runs in the first innings but I am proud of the way we fought. Quite a few of us made good starts but we weren’t able to push on and get the big scores which make a difference, apart from Tony in the first innings. When you get in, especially in tricky conditions like these, you’ve got to go on and make it count.”
Markram also had high praise for Muthusamy, whose 11-wicket haul was a silver lining for the tourists. “He was exceptional – if you watch him behind the scenes he works really hard, bowls a lot of balls and takes his practice really seriously so no surprise that he’s reaping the rewards out there in the middle. I’m so pleased for him that he could have this game,” the skipper said.
Pakistan’s captain, meanwhile, was quick to acknowledge the resilience of the world champions. “As I said before the series started, they are a great measuring stick for us being the world test champions, they kept coming back at us when we had the chance to get away, but that’s what champions do, they never give up,” Masood observed. “But also kept going and managed to build up enough of a margin to win and I’m just pleased that we managed to finish it off.”
The win marks an ideal start for Pakistan in the new World Test Championship cycle, a marked contrast from their last-place finish in the previous edition. The series now heads to Rawalpindi, where the second and final Test is set to begin on October 20, 2025. South Africa will be bolstered by the return of the experienced Keshav Maharaj, who missed the Lahore Test due to injury, while Pakistan will look to build on the momentum generated by their spinners and the lessons learned from their own middle-order stumbles.
As the dust settles on a memorable contest, both teams have plenty to ponder. For Pakistan, the challenge will be to maintain their newfound confidence and address the vulnerabilities in their batting. For South Africa, it’s about regrouping quickly, shoring up the top order, and ensuring that their spinners—so effective in Lahore—can replicate their success on another potentially spin-friendly surface in Rawalpindi. The series remains tantalizingly poised, with the world champions eager to respond and Pakistan relishing the opportunity to press home their early advantage.
The cricketing world now turns its gaze to Rawalpindi, where the next chapter in this compelling rivalry will unfold. With both sides boasting formidable spin arsenals and a point to prove, fans can expect another hard-fought battle as the World Test Championship stakes continue to rise.
