Rabada, Maharaj excel as S.Africa thrash Pakistan to wrap up Test series 2-0

South Africa earned a seventh successive win after beating Pakistan by 10 wickets on day four of the second Test at Newlands on Monday and swept the series 2-0.

Pakistan, which was forced to follow on after 194 in the first innings, fought hard to avert an innings defeat with only 10 batters after Saim Ayub was injured on the first day. It was bowled out for 478 in the last session, leaving South Africa only 58 runs to win.

David Bedingham and Aiden Markram knocked off the runs in just 7.1 overs to wrap up the series after their narrow two-wicket win at Centurion, also inside four days.

“It’s satisfying, good old Test cricket that we’re used to,” South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said. “There was something for the new-ball bowlers and then it flattened out ... late on day four there was some spin and it’s what we were accustomed to growing up.”

Since beating the West Indies by 40 runs at Providence last August, South Africa has achieved 2-0 series wins against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan and qualified for their first World Test Championship final in June at Lord’s.

Ryan Rickelton’s 259 in South Africa’s decisive first innings total of 615 earned him the player of the match, but he didn’t take the field on Monday because of a groin injury.

Pakistan’s long resistance on the flat, dry pitch was largely based on a determined century from captain Shan Masood, who batted for just over six hours before falling for 145 to 18-year-old debutant Kwena Maphaka after lunch.

“Maphaka is a guy who’s super confident and wants to be in the contest,” Bavuma said. “He never had his head down and always wanted to make a play for the team.”

Pakistan started the day on 213-1 and nightwatchman Khurram Shahzad frustrated South Africa in the morning before Marco Jansen had him caught at point on 18. Jansen came close to also dismissing Kamran Ghulam without scoring in the same over but Bedingham missed an easy catch at first slip.

Ghulam hit four boundaries in a 28 but was undone by Kagiso Rabada off a delivery that just came back enough to hit the off stump as the batter attempted a loose drive and missed the line of the ball.

The Proteas took the new ball after lunch and struck twice in the next two overs.

Rabada found the outside edge of Saud Shakeel on 23 and the left-hander was caught in the slips, then South Africa got the big wicket of Masood. A successful lbw referral showed Maphaka’s sharp delivery hit the Pakistan captain on the front pad.

Masood helped to narrow the deficit to 109 but Pakistan were five wickets down with only four wickets left.

Salman Ali Agha (48) and Mohammad Rizwan (41) survived close lbw reviews early in their innings before spinner Keshav Maharaj, who bowled long spells on Monday, dismissed both batters.

No. 9 batter Mir Hamza (16) smashed Rabada for a straight six before he was the last man out, top-edging the pacer, who finished with 3-115.

Maharaj (3-137) and Jansen (2-101) also helped as the South Africa bowlers had to grind out 122.1 overs.

Bedingham opened the batting for the Proteas in the absence of the injured Rickelton and hit an unbeaten 44 off 30 balls with four boundaries and two sixes.

Associated Press

Brief scores:

South Africa 615 and 58-0 (D. Bedingham 44 not out)

Pakistan 194 and 478 (Shan Masood 145, Babar Azam 81, Mohammad Rizwan 41, Salman Agha 48, Aamer Jamal 34; K. Rabada 3-115, M. Jansen 2-101, K. Maharaj 3-137)

Result: South Africa won by 10 wickets

Series: South Africa won the two-match series 2-0