South Africa and Pakistan will be renewing their Test rivalry this week. The first game of the two-Test SA vs PAK series is scheduled to be played at the SuperSport Park in Centurion from Thursday (December 22).
Pakistan’s tour of South Africa started with the three-match T20I series. South Africa won the first two T20Is with ease before the third game was washed out.
In the succeeding SA vs PAK ODI series, Pakistan were the better team as they whitewashed South Africa. Pakistan won all three ODIs comfortably to register a historic 3-0 victory.
The tourists won the first SA vs PAK ODI by 3 wickets before registering an 81-run win in the second game to take an unassailable 2-0 lead. In the third ODI, Pakistan beat South Africa 36 runs (DLS method).
The focus now shifts to the Test series. With a place in the World Test Championship final at stake, both teams will be desperate to win the Test series. With both teams now gearing up for the crucial first Test, here is the preview of the game.
SA vs PAK Match Preview – 1st Test, Pakistan tour of South Africa 2024-25:
SA vs PAK Date and Venue:
The upcoming first Test between South Africa and Pakistan will be starting on Thursday (December 26) at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.
Squads:
South Africa:
Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne.
Pakistan:
Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel, Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha
SA vs PAK Key Battles
Saim Ayub vs Kagiso Rabada:
The battle between Saim Ayub and Kagiso Rabada is going to be a thrilling contest. With Ayub in red-hot form, Pakistan will be hoping that he gives them good starts in the Test series as well. On the other hand, Rabada can trouble any batsman in the world on any given day and will be looking to dominate Ayub as well.
The Pakistan opener scored an unbeaten 98 in the second T20I against South Africa before scoring two centuries in the three-match ODI series. Rabada, on the other hand, picked up 5 wickets in the two ODIs that he played against Pakistan.
Marco Jansen vs Babar Azam:
Babar Azam showed glimpses of his past form in the recently-concluded ODI series against South Africa. He scored fifties in the last two ODIs of the series and will be hoping to make the most of his form in the Test series. On his day, Babar can blow away just any team in the world and Pakistan will be hoping that their former captain lives up to the expectations in the Test series.
South Africa, on the other hand, will be keen to send back Babar cheaply and the one man who can do it is their left-arm pacer Marco Jansen. With conditions in Centurion expected to assist the pacers, Jansen can make life difficult for Babar in the series opener.
Naseem Shah vs Temba Bavuma:
With South Africa standing on the verge of qualifying for the World Test Championship for the very first time, captain Temba Bavuma will be keen to lead the team from the front. The right-handed batsman was in stunning form in the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka earlier this month.
In a series where no batsman could score more than 189 runs, Bavuma scored 327 at an average of 81.75. He will be eyeing a similar performance against Pakistan as well.
With Bavuma in such great form, Pakistan will have to make sure that the South Africa captain departs cheaply if they are eyeing a historic series win. And for that, they will be depending on their pacer Naseem Shah. There will be ample pace and bounce on the pitch in Centurion and Naseem will be looking to make the most of it.
SA vs PAK Key Players
SA – Temba Bavuma, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Kagiso Rabada, and Marco Jansen will be some of the key players for South Africa.
PAK – Saim Ayub, Shan Masood, Babar Azam, Salman Agha, Naseem Shah, and Mohammad Abbas will be the key players for Pakistan.
SA vs PAK Weather And Pitch Report:
The first SA vs PAK Test will be played in Centurion. Ahead of the Test, the weather forecast is not very promising. While the first day of the Test is unlikely to be interrupted by rain, thunderstorms could play spoilsport in the next four days. The temperature is likely to hover in the 20s throughout the Test.
SuperSport Park pitch will be offering ample bounce and pace. Pacers will be enjoying the conditions while spinners are unlikely to make a very big impact. Batsmen can also reap the reward if they remain disciplined.
Conclusion:
A lot will be at stake in the upcoming Test series and both teams will be giving their all on the field. After a pretty lopsided contest in the limited-overs series, fans should gear up for an exciting Test match between South Africa and Pakistan.