South Africa vs Pakistan, 1st Test Match Preview, Prediction and Live Streaming

If you need to know anything about Pakistan, they love to spoil parties. They also try to make everything about themselves. Getting whitewashed by Bangladesh at home meant that Pakistan’s chances of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) final were dead and gone. But that is not the way they like things. They like to spice things up. Meet the table-toppers as the final boss. Make them fight for survival.

South Africa are only one win away from becoming the first team to qualify for the WTC final, but that they have to get past Pakistan for that is nothing short of damning. Not for Pakistan, though. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Barring the slimmest chance that they have of making it to the final, they are out of the championship. If Pakistan manage to win this and their next red-ball series 2-0 and somehow get the South African team to get some of their WTC points docked, they are all set to fly to London. If not, they will at least have a story to tell of how they nearly gave the Proteas a heart attack.

In all seriousness, Pakistan’s coming-from-behind victory against England after they practically stifled all of their obvious resources was definitely stuff for a best-selling fiction book. But doing the same in away conditions, without their industrial-sized fans, would be a big ask, though the visitors have always loved a good challenge.

Team Overview:

Pakistan have very consistently oscillated between all-pace and all-spin bowling attacks in the recent past. They will do the same in the Boxing Day Test, where Shan Masood will field four pacers including the returning Naseem Shah, the often-overlooked Mohammad Abbas, the fast bowling all-rounder Aamer Jamal, and Khurram Shehzad.

Abbas is making a comeback to the national side after a three-year-long enforced hiatus. As to why he was left out of the team in the first place requires a full-blown investigation since his numbers were brilliant back then too. But he would be happy to get a call-up in conditions that not only suit his skillset but he also knows them like the back of his hand.

The visitors have a few part-time spin options in the form of Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, and Saud Shakeel. Abdullah Shafique has been dropped and in his stead, the skipper Shan Masood will open the innings with the red-hot Saim. Babar Azam, who returns to the side after getting ~~dropped~~ rested for the last two Test games versus England, will bat No. 3 rather than his usual No. 4 position. Kamran Ghulam will come in to bat at the fourth position, having proven himself during the England Test series.

Babar last batted at one down almost two years ago, in 2022. And before that, his last appearance at that position came in 2017. This does seem like a gamble given the fact that the right-handed batter has not been at his trademark best this year. But Pakistan have many reasons to believe in punts more than logic.

South Africa currently have players divided into three groups; the injured, the fit but not match-fit, and the others. Wiaan Mulder and Keshav Maharaj have both recovered from their respective injuries but they will not play the Boxing Day Test. The Proteas will go with four pacers as well including the uncapped Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson, and Marco Jansen.

Head-to-Head Matches:

Both sides have played 28 Test games against each other, out of which South Africa outdid Pakistan in 15 games, while Pakistan won 6. Seven matches ended without any result.

Weather and Pitch Report:

Both teams will be playing with four pacers each and what does that tell us about the conditions? They are going to be excessively seam-friendly. If you are a batter, you will have to buy each run for big bucks. Add to that the overcast conditions which will accompany the first couple of days. Batters can hope to get some help on the third and fourth day but before that, they will have to, however begrudgingly, respect the surface’s love for fast bowlers.