South Africa will be eyeing a clean sheet when they take on Pakistan in the second and final Test of the ongoing series. The match is scheduled to be played on Friday (January 3) at Newlands, Cape Town.
The win helped the South African team create history as they booked their place in the final of the Test World Cup for the first time. Set a target of 148 runs for a place in the WTC final, South Africa got off to a disastrous start. At the beginning of the chase, they lost on 19/3.
Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma then stopped the rot for a while before the hosts suffered another collapse and were reduced to 99/8. The game looked done and dusted for the hosts at that stage before Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada shared an unbeaten 51-run stand to take their team over the finish line.
With South Africa now eyeing another win, we look at South Africa’s playing 11 for the second SA vs PAK Test.
South Africa XI vs Pakistan – 2nd Test, Pakistan Tour of South Africa 2024-25:
Openers: Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram
Tony de Zorzi and Aiden Markram look set to be the starters for South Africa Playing 11 for the second Test. While de Zorzi is expected to retain his place in the team, he will be ready to bounce back and get some good batting going after falling twice in the first Test.
The southpaw scored 2 runs in each of the two innings as he failed to give his team a good start. On the other hand, Markram played a good game. The South African star impressed in both innings and was named man of the match for his crucial knocks.
He top-scored in the first innings, scoring 89 runs before playing a crucial knock of 37 runs in the second innings. With form on his side, Markram will be eyeing another good outing in the upcoming Test.
Middle-order batsmen and all-rounders: Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (c), Wiaan Mulder, Kyle Verreynne (ie), Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch
Ryan Rickelton will be desperate to do well in the upcoming Test after failing to impress in the first Test. The left-handed batsman failed to get going in either innings, scoring 8 and 0. However, he is expected to retain his place in South Africa playing the 11.
Tristan Stubbs also had a game to forget. In both innings, the Proteas star did not fare well with the bat and was out for 9 and 1.
The in-form Temba Bavuma managed to once again lead his side from the first as he made useful contributions with the bat in both innings. In the first innings, the South African skipper scored 31 runs before scoring 40 runs in the second innings. He was South Africa’s top scorer in the second innings.
South Africa are likely to make one change to their playing 11. Wiaan Mulder, who missed the first test through injury, could replace David Bedingham in the South Africa Playing 11 for the second test. Bedingham has not scored a fifty in his last 6 innings and could be dropped from the team.
Kyle Verreynne has been made the wicket keeper in the team and will look to be good after scoring 2 runs in each of the two innings. Marco Jansen and Corbin Bosch are expected to be the two main all-rounders in South Africa’s Playing XI.
Bosch impressed on his debut, taking 4 wickets in the first innings before scoring an unbeaten 81. On the other hand, Jansen took 6 wickets in the second innings before scoring an unbeaten 16.
Bowlers: Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson
Kagiso Rabada and Dane Paterson are likely to be South Africa’s first front line playing 11. Paterson took 5 wickets in the first innings and 1 wicket in the second. On the other hand, Rabada picked up 2 wickets in the game while playing a match winning knock of 31 runs.
