Centurion, South Africa - The first Test match between South Africa and Pakistan got off to an exhilarating start as South African pacer Corbin Bosch showcased remarkable debut skills at SuperSport Park on December 26. Bosch made his mark immediately, snaring the wicket of Pakistan's captain Shan Masood with his very first delivery, marking him as the 25th cricketer to achieve this remarkable feat.
The home team, under the captaincy of Temba Bavuma, won the toss and chose to bowl first, clearly aiming to capitalize on the pace-friendly conditions of the Centurion pitch. This decision came with the pressure of needing at least one victory against Pakistan to secure their spot in the World Test Championship final next June.
South Africa's bowling attack proved too much for the Pakistani batsmen early on. Pakistan found themselves on the back foot at 88 for four at lunch, struggling to cope with the seam movement generated by Bosch and his fellow pacers, Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, and Dane Paterson. Each bowler left their mark, with both Bosch and Paterson claiming two wickets each before the first break.
Bosch’s debut began on the highest note as he dismissed Masood, who edged the ball to third slip where Marco Jansen stood ready to catch. That breakthrough came after Pakistan's Saim Ayub and Masood had managed to frustrate the South African bowlers for the first 14 overs.
After Masood, who fell for 17 runs, Ayub followed suit, dismissed for just 14. Pakistan's famed batsman Babar Azam, who was controversially dropped for the previous home Test series, came back to bat at No. 3 but managed only four runs, edging to slip and handing Dane Paterson another wicket.
It was not long before Saud Shakeel also succumbed for 14 runs, gloved out behind the stumps, marking another low moment for Pakistan just as they were hoping to stabilize their innings. Despite these challenges, Kamran Ghulam took it upon himself to lead the recovery, notching up 54 runs and becoming the top scorer for his side.
Following the loss of Ghulam, who played aggressively, the pressure mounted again as Mohammad Rizwan contributed only 27 runs before being caught, pushing the team's total lower. The dismissal of lower-order batsmen Aamir Jamal and Salman Ali Agha left Pakistan reeling, forcing them to rely on their remaining batsmen to stabilize the innings.
The match setup was characterized by South Africa's clear intent to dominate, both with the ball and through their strategic decisions leading up to the match. Captain Bavuma, reflecting on the toss decision, mentioned, "It was a tricky decision to make but we’d like to have a go with the new ball," highlighting the team's confidence about their pace attack.
Pakistan's captain, on the other hand, acknowledged the challenge of the conditions, stating, “Conditions favour the seamers,” which indicated his awareness of the uphill battle his squad faced.
With the match still developing post-lunch, Pakistan looked to Ghulam-for inspiration, but their fragility against the fast bowling of South Africa made it difficult for them to build any significant partnerships.
Fans and analysts alike are observing how this Test series might flip for Pakistan, who recently enjoyed success against South Africa, sweeping them 3-0 in the ODI series just weeks ago. The Test match offers Pakistan another opportunity to solidify their batting order, which has seen instability with the absence of solid contributions from key players.
On the other hand, South Africa must grab this opportunity to chase the World Test Championship title, especially with their firing bowling attack. Time will tell if Pakistan can recover from this precarious position or if the Proteas will solidify their grip on the match.
Stay tuned as we monitor the progress of the first Test between South Africa and Pakistan, running from December 26 to December 30, here at SuperSport Park, Centurion.
