The final Test between South Africa and Pakistan at Newlands promises to be a captivating affair, with South Africa eager to extend their dominant home record, while Pakistan seeks to break a long-standing drought in the country. Despite already securing their spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final after a thrilling two-wicket victory over Pakistan in Centurion, South Africa still have plenty to play for in this series.
The hosts, who have won eight consecutive Tests at home against Pakistan, are determined to continue their perfect home record. Although there is no larger WTC qualification issue to play for, the desire to maintain this winning streak adds an extra edge to the match. South Africa’s coach, Shukri Conrad, has made no apologies for the team’s relatively softer route to the WTC final, but the team remains focused on finishing the cycle in style, having won six consecutive games.
For Pakistan, their WTC hopes had already ended earlier in the cycle, but the focus has now shifted to overcoming their habit of squandering winning positions. After a narrow loss in Centurion, where they came agonizingly close to victory, Pakistan has now lost seven of their last nine Tests and all eight of their recent Tests in South Africa. Newlands may offer a different challenge for Pakistan, with the pitch expected to offer more spin than Centurion and potentially more assistance for their seam and swing bowlers in the early stages.
Pakistan, who have only managed two Test wins in South Africa in three decades, will see a drawn series as a significant achievement, and a victory here would mark one of their most impressive away series results in years.
The focus will also be on the battle between the spinners, with South Africa bringing in Keshav Maharaj after a lengthy spell out of the side. However, Newlands has not been kind to Maharaj in the past, as his average at this venue is nearly double his overall South African average. How he fares here could become one of the key storylines of the match.
For Pakistan, their openers, Saim Ayub and Shan Masood, have shown some promise, but consistency remains an issue. The pair put together small but valuable partnerships in Centurion, and Pakistan will need them to deliver more if they are to post competitive totals in this Test.
South Africa has made several changes to their lineup for the final Test, bringing in Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder, and debutant fast bowler Kwena Maphaka. Tony de Zorzi is unavailable due to a thigh strain, and fast-bowling all-rounder Corbin Bosch, along with Dane Paterson, have been dropped.
Pakistan, on the other hand, is still uncertain whether to field Noman Ali or rely on Salman Ali Agha as their lead spinner. Their batting lineup remains largely unchanged, with Shan Masood continuing as captain, and the key trio of Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, and Mohammad Rizwan tasked with steadying the middle order.
Newlands’ pitch is expected to offer more assistance to spinners than the one at Centurion, with conditions likely to evolve as the match progresses. The ground has been known for producing a more traditional Test pitch that favours slower bowlers as the game wears on.
Keshav Maharaj is just seven wickets away from becoming the first South African spinner to take 200 Test wickets.
Among active batters in the Pakistan side, Babar Azam has the best record in South Africa, with a score of 275 runs at an average of 34.37. However, no Pakistani player has scored a century in South Africa in recent years.
As the teams head into the final Test, all eyes will be on Newlands for what promises to be a thrilling conclusion to this series.
