The Pakistani team Halts the Proteas' 10-match Victory Run.

Cricket match action

Shaheen Afridi took a quartet of wickets in the final innings after going wicketless in the first innings.

Opening Test, Lahore (the fourth day)

The home side 378 (Imam-ul-Haq 93, Salman Agha 93; Senuran Muthusamy 6-117) & 167 (Babar 42; the spinner 5-57)

South Africa 269 (De Zorzi 104; Noman Ali 6-112) & 183 (Brevis 54; Shaheen Afridi 4-33, Noman 4-79)

The hosts secured a 93-run victory

The national team terminated the reigning champions the Proteas' winning streak by completing a 93-run victory in an exciting and hard-fought opening Test in Lahore.

The Proteas, who had a 10-Test winning streak in the longest format culminated in a win against the Aussies in the WTC final in June, were dismissed for 183 in pursuit of 277.

Having resumed on 51 for two, they saw the dismissal of first-innings centurion De Zorzi lbw to pace bowler Afridi to the third ball of the day to push the finely-poised chase in the home team's favor.

Left-arm spinner Noman, who took 10-191 in the game, removed Tristan Stubbs for 2 and bowled Dewald Brevis, who put up a fight with a run-a-ball 54.

Right-arm spinner Sajid also capitalized on sharp turn to end opener Ryan Rickelton's innings - he faced 145 balls for 45 runs - and Shaheen returned in the post-lunch session to dismiss the lower order with a fine display of reverse-swing bowling.

He trapped Kyle Verreynne leg before for nineteen and dismissed Subrayen and Kagiso Rabada to seal the victory.

It was each team's opening game of the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle and propels Pakistan directly into the number two spot behind leaders Australia.

Their victory was founded on key performances of ninety-three by opening batsman Imam-ul-Haq and, crucially, number seven Agha which boosted them to three hundred and seventy-eight.

After that slow bowlers Noman and Sajid utilized favourable home conditions, as they had in their series victory over the English team last year, to sustain their advantage.

The next and last match begins on 20 October.

Veronica Hammond
Veronica Hammond

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