SA vs PAK 2024/25, SA vs PAK 1. Test Match Preview

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Big Picture – Can Pakistan carry ODI momentum into Test series?

There is another Boxing Day Test, but this one is also a big one. If South Africa win at SuperSport Park, they will guarantee a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. If Pakistan win, they will keep outside hopes (so outside that they also demand an overrated penalty for South Africa) of getting to Lord’s alive, but more urgently, they will keep a nation on edge for another week.

In reality, South Africa have a breathing space because they only need to win one of the next two Tests to reach the WTC final. Even with rain hanging around the Highveld, they will fancy their chances against a team that has not achieved a Test win in this country for almost 18 years and not won a Test outside Asia since they beat the West Indies in August 2021. But pressure does strange things to players, especially South African players, and Pakistan, for all the drama surrounding them, is a team that could exploit it.

They went through a revolving door of coaches, selectors and administrators before coming to South Africa and were already in the country when their Test coach resigned two weeks before the start of the series. Yet the build-up to this Boxing Day Test has had none of Melbourne’s shenanigans, mostly because the two sides were preoccupied with an ODI contest that serves as a build-up to the Champions Trophy. Ten South African and seven Pakistani players from their respective Test teams were involved in the contest which Pakistan won 3–0. If momentum is a factor, it certainly is with them.

South Africa’s batting in particular was undone and, worryingly for them, three of their top four (Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs) all fell to Salman Agha’s offspin in the first ODI. The conditions are unlikely to suit him at SuperSport Park, but the mental scars may be there and Temba Bavuma hopes they will be easy to overcome. “Whether it’s easy, whether it’s hard, we’ve got to find a way to do it,” he said. “Whatever, I don’t know, trauma that was there, you know, guys are going to have to deal with it.”

Bavuma was also quick to remind that the Test ground is different as it is where South Africa have more stability and focus with an immediate goal of the WTC final. The opposite can be said for Pakistan, who have won three ODI series in a row and are building towards a Champions Trophy where they will defend the title.

It may mean that the teams go into this match with slightly different priorities compared to their current form, but that will not minimize the feeling of the occasion. A Boxing Day Test with plenty at stake taking place at the same time as another Boxing Day Test with even more at stake. It doesn’t get any bigger than this.

Form guide

South Africa: WWWWW (last five tests, most recent first)
Pakistan: WWLLLL

In the spotlight – Aiden Markram and Mohammad Abbas

It feels like Aiden Markram has struggled across formats this year, but his biggest struggles have come in the format he captains. He has just one score above 30 from 18 T20Is in 2024, and a fifty from six ODIs hasn’t helped his cause either. , but his test form has shown signs of improvement. After a century in the New Year’s Test, Markram hit fifties at Providence and Gqeberha and is also someone Bavuma says he “leans on a lot” when it comes to tactics and inspiring younger players. Most of all, Markram enjoys the continued support of his teammates and especially Bavuma, who says he “feels” what Markram is going through, but “that’s what makes elite sport tough. You have to find a way to go through those challenges and generally when you come out the other side, that’s where the satisfaction is.”

It’s now or never for Mohammad Abbas who at the age of 34 is about to make his comeback after three years outside the national team, apparently without explanation. Abbas played 25 Tests between April 2017 and August 2021, taking 90 wickets at 23.02, but was dropped in favor of younger quicks despite excellent numbers on the county circuit. He has enjoyed four fruitful seasons at Hampshire, taking 180 wickets at 19.26 and finishing in the top 10 wicket-takers in 2022 and 2023, and just outside in 2024. This season, he is the second-highest wicket-taker in the Quaid-e -Azam Trophy and has deservedly earned a recall and hopes to make it count. Abbas is 10 wickets away from 100 in Test cricket and if he gets there, he will be the 20th bowler from Pakistan to reach the milestone.

Keep news

Both Keshav Maharaj (groin strain) and Wiaan Mulder (broken finger) passed pre-match fitness tests but are not considered match-fit yet. South Africa have chosen to go in without a frontline spinner – and without spin-bowling all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy – opting for a 7-4 split. Corbin Bosch, who regularly bowls over 140km/h, will make his home debut and share bowling duties with Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson and Marco Jansen. Ryan Rickelton has been retained as the no. 3, while Tristan Stubbs moves to no. 4.

South Africa (probable): 1 Tony de Zorzi, 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Ryan Rickelton, 4 Tristan Stubbs, 5 Temba Bavuma (capt), 6 David Bedingham, 7 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Dane Paterson , 11 Corbin Bosch.

Pakistan could follow South Africa’s lead and go all-out, which would mean no place for Noman Ali, although they would still have Salman Agha at their disposal. In the seam department, Abbas, Aamer Jamal and Khurram Shahzad are likely to partner the 21-year-old strike leader, Naseem Shah.

Pakistan (probable): 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Shan Masood (capt), 4 Babar Azam, 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 7 Salman Ali Agha, 8 Aamer Jamal, 9 Khurram Shahzad, 10 Naseem Shah , 11 Mohammad Abbas

Stand and conditions

There has been significant rainfall on the Highveld in the run-up to this Test match, making pitch preparation at SuperSport Park “difficult” in the words of a source. Two days out, the surface was quite green, which is in keeping with its reputation. Centurion is the most seamer-friendly wicket in the country, which also makes it the most difficult for batsmen. While Bavuma said he has “never played on a flat Centurion wicket”, days two and three are usually good for run-scoring, but with the overhead, batsmen will “know your work is going to be cut out for you and you are going to have to work hard for your runs.” The match may also be interrupted by thunderstorms for the first morning and afternoon and the second and third afternoon.

Statistics and trivia

  • Eight batsmen have scored Test centuries for South Africa in 2024. That is their joint-most in a calendar year, and their most for 12 years. They previously had eight centurions in 2004, 2008 and 2012.
  • Pakistan has won two of the 15 tests they have played in South Africa, none since 2007, and none of their three at SuperSport Park. Their two wins have come at St George’s Park and Kingsmead, the ground that hosted the recent Sri Lanka series.
  • Kagiso Rabada is three wickets away from walks past Dale Steyn and become the leading wicket-taker at SuperSport Park. Rabada just played eight samples on site and has only taken fewer than five wickets here on one occasion, against India in 2018. He averages just over seven wickets per innings. test in Centurion.
  • Since January 2018, there have been seven Tests at SuperSport Park and a clear advantage for seam bowlers. They have taken 227 wickets at 23.22compared to 16 wickets at 60.62 of spinners.

Quotes

“We accept and acknowledge the fact that a lot of expectations would have been raised on the team. There will be pressure on that. But to be honest with you, we come into the series to win the series 2-0. We understand , that in order for us to do that, there are certain things we need to do as a team: keep things simple, keep doing the little things right, and let the results take care of themselves.Obviously one of those results qualify for them The WTC final and of course would like to see ourselves there, but we are here now.
Temba Bavuma currently holding South Africa even as they chase the grand prize of reaching the WTC final

“When I went to Australia, I didn’t get time to prepare properly. It was my first overseas tour there and I made mistakes but also learned what I could change. Here, under similar conditions, I have had the time to prepare and get into a positive frame of mind.”
Pakistan dough Saud Shakeel feel that he is in a good place in the series

Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s South Africa and women’s cricket correspondent