South Africa end 18-year wait for Test win in Pakistan during PAK vs SA 2nd Test

South Africa ended their 18-year wait for a Test win in Pakistan after winning the second game of the two-match Test series at Rawalpindi to end the series level at 1-1. 

Leading the Test series by 1-0 after winning the series opener by 93 runs at Lahore, Pakistan chose to bat first at Rawalpindi. While they scored 333 runs in the first innings, South Africa were once struggling at 235/8, but the lower-order batters' brilliant batting helped the visitors to score 404 runs.

On the fourth day of the Test match, while Pakistan started at 94/4, South Africa bundled them out for only 138 runs, as the visitors needed only 68 runs in the fourth innings to win the game. South Africa lost only two late wickets to secure a comfortable win by eight wickets.

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South Africa recorded third Test win in Pakistan

It was South Africa's third Test win in Pakistan. After their first Test win at Faisalabad in 1997, the Proteas recorded their second Test victory in Pakistan at Karachi in 2007. Now, they won the third Test in Pakistan after recording one draw and three straight losses since their previous Test win in Karachi. It was the 18-year wait for South Africa to win a Test match in Pakistan.

Last time, South Africa beat Pakistan in Asia in the 2013 Dubai Test, where the Proteas won by an innings and 92 runs. After that Dubai Test victory, the Proteas suffered three straight Test defeats in Pakistan before winning the latest one at Rawalpindi.

South Africa won three out of last four Tests in Asia

After 14 winless Tests in Asia for a decade (four draws and 10 losses), South Africa have recorded three wins in their last four Tests in Asia. In October 2024, South Africa won two Tests in Bangladesh, and in the ongoing month, they first suffered the Lahore Test defeat before winning the Rawalpindi Test to level the series. 

South Africa will play their next Test series against the hosts India in upcoming November, which will also be a part of the 2025-2027 ICC World Test Championship.