Nauman and Yasir shine as Pakistan beat South Africa in first Test

January 29, 2021 01:01 PM

Debutant Nauman Ali took five wickets and fellow spinner Yasir Shah grabbed four to give Pakistan a seven-wicket victory in the first Test against South Africa in Karachi on Friday.

Nauman finished with 5-35 and Yasir took 4-79 as South Africa slumped to 245 all out in their second innings on the fourth day on a wearing National Stadium pitch that favoured spin bowlers.

Pakistan, needing 88 for victory, lost openers Abid Ali, Imran Butt and Babar Azam for a total of 52 runs before achieving the target in 22.5 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

The second Test starts on February 4 in Rawalpindi.

Azhar Ali was 31 not out while Fawad Alam -- who hit a fighting hundred in the first innings -- hit the winning boundary.

It was only Pakistan's fifth victory against South Africa in 27 Tests.

Anrich Nortje bowled Abid in the first over after lunch and then had Butt caught behind to finish with figures of 2-24.

Azam, on his Test captaincy debut, was dismissed leg before by Keshav Maharaj.

It was a spinners' battle on a brownish wicket, allowing Nauman to record figures of 7-73 and Yasir 7-133. In contrast, South Africa's spinners managed just four wickets.

Pakistan had taken a crucial 158-run first innings lead, thanks to a fighting century from Fawad and half centuries from Faheem Ashraf and Azhar.

The writing was on the wall as South Africa lost nightwatchman Maharaj on the first ball of the day, bowled for two by pacer Hasan Ali.

South African skipper Quinton de Kock had a miserable 50th Test as he followed his 15 in the first innings with just two runs as he was caught off a lazy push off Yasir.

Temba Bavuma, who scored 40, added 42 for the seventh wicket with George Linde before being the last man out as Nauman took the last four wickets in a rapid 22 balls.

He dismissed Linde for 11, Kagiso Rabada for a single run, and Anrich Nortje for a duck, before removing Bavuma, to become the 12th Pakistani bowler to take five wickets in an innings on his debut.

South Africa are on their first tour of Pakistan for 14 years.

Scoreboard

Scores after South Africa's second innings on the fourth day in the opening Test against Pakistan at the National Stadium in Karachi on Friday:

South Africa 1st innings 220 (D. Elgar 58, G. Linde 35; Yasir Shah 3-54, Nauman Ali 2-38, Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-49)

Pakistan 1st innings 378 (Fawad Alam 109. Faheem Ashraf 64, Azhar Ali 51; K. Rabada 3-70, K. Maharaj 3-90)

South Africa 2nd innings (overnight 187-4)

South Africa 2nd innings (overnight 187-4)

A. Markram c Abid b Nauman 74

D. Elgar c Rizwan b Yasir 29

R. van der Dussen c Abid b Yasir 64

Faf du Plessis lbw b Yasir 10

K. Maharaj b Hasan 2

Q. de Kock c Abid b Yasir 2

T. Bavuma lbw b Nauman 40

G. Linde c Butt b Nauman 11

K. Rabada b Nauman 1

A. Nortje c Fawad b Nauman 0

L. Ngidi not out 3

Extras (lb1, nb7, w1) 9

Total: (100.3 overs, all out) 245

Fall of wickets: 1-48 (Elgar), 2-175 (Dussen), 3-185 (Du Plessis), 4-185 (Markram), 5-187 (Maharaj), 6-192 (de Kock), 7-234 (Linde), 8-238 (Rabada), 9-240 (Nortje)

Bowling: Shaheen 17-1-61-0 (3nb), Hasan 16-1-61-1 (2nb), Nauman 25.3-8-35-5 (1nb), Yasir 33-7-79-4, Asrfa 9-6-8-0

Pakistan 2nd innings

Imran Butt c de Kock b Nortje 12

Abid Ali b Nortje 10

Azhar Ali not out 31

Babar Azam lbw b Maharaj 30

Fawad Alam not out 4

Extras (b1, lb2) 3

Total: (Over 22.5, for three wickets) 90

Did not bat: Mohammad Rizwan, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Nauman Ali, Yasir Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi

Fall of wickets: 1-22 (Abid), 2-23 (Butt), 3-86 (Azam)

Bowling: Rabada 8-2-21-0, Nortje 7-1-24-2, Maharaj 1.5-0-12-1, Ngidi 3-0-17-0, Linde 3-0-13-0