After Mohammed Abbas grabbed six wickets and tore down the home batting order, Rabada and Jansen hit 31 and 16 in an undefeated partnership of 51 off 50 balls to get South Africa across the finish line and prevent Pakistan from pulling off a stunning comeback triumph.
The test ended more like a Twenty20 match, with the tailenders providing the opportunity for Pakistan to win a test in South Africa for the first time in eighteen years after South Africa had collapsed badly before lunch.
But in the midst of scenes of wild jubilation, Jansen scored the winning runs with a sophisticated drive to the boundary, and Rabada, the second-best test bowler, turned out to be an unlikely batting hero.
It’s a strong advertisement for test cricket and quite emotive. A bit of a rollercoaster, but a lot of love and happiness for us. Temba Bavuma, the home captain, stated, “We’re happy to have achieved the outcome, even though we had to do it the hard way.”
It was devastating for Pakistan since South Africa had a difficult time chasing a modest mark of 148 after Abbas had got them within four wickets in a long run of 13 consecutive overs before lunch.
A DRAMATIC FAILURE
With 50 runs needed and six wickets remaining, Abbas, whose total numbers were 6-54 off 19.3 overs, orchestrated a stunning collapse just as South Africa appeared to be on the verge of a straightforward triumph.
The lucky dismissal of skipper Temba Bavuma for 40 was part of his haul. He walked after believing he had edged the ball behind to the wicketkeeper, but he will regret not reexamining the judgment because the television replays showed it had touched his pocket instead of his bat during the passage.
Abbas also had David Bedingham and Corbin Bosch caught behind after bowling Aiden Markram. Bosch went first ball to help South Africa fall from 96-4 to 99-8.
“I’m really proud of what we’ve done, but as a team, we need to be more brutal moving forward. Shan Masood, the captain of Pakistan, stated, “We must take advantage of the opportunities that test cricket presents.”
