South Africa secured a thrilling two-wicket victory in the first Test against Pakistan on Sunday. Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen held their nerve against a determined Mohammad Abbas to clinch the win.
This triumph guarantees South Africa a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final next year.
South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi celebrated the win on X, formerly known as Twitter. He highlighted the nation’s recent cricketing successes, including an ODI World Cup semi-final, a T20 World Cup final, and two consecutive Women’s World Cup final appearances.
“ODI World Cup semi-final, T20 World Cup final, the ladies’ team making two World Cup finals in a row, the Test team in the WTC final. Cricket is definitely dead in SA if we are to believe the negative people on South African cricket Twitter,” Shamsi wrote.
Jansen’s unbeaten 16 runs proved crucial, including a decisive boundary against Abbas. Despite Abbas’ impressive bowling figures of 6-54, South Africa reached their target of 150-8 shortly after lunch on Day 4.
South Africa’s journey to the WTC final included a 1-1 draw against India and a 2-0 series loss to New Zealand. However, they bounced back with victories over the West Indies, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, propelling them to the top of the table.
South African captain Temba Bavuma acknowledged the significance of reaching the WTC final.
“It (WTC final) is a big one, not just for myself but also the team and the coach.”
He reflected on the team’s challenging start to the WTC cycle.
“The way we started our campaign, against India and then New Zealand with a not-so-strong team, and the way we have gone through with our performances, not many gave us a chance.”
India, Australia, and Sri Lanka remain in contention for the other spot in the WTC final. The final will be played against South Africa at Lord’s next June.
