Spinners take 34 out of 40 wickets and Pak skipper Masood calls Lahore Test win vs SA 'collective effort'

Pakistan started their World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle with a comprehensive win against defending champions South Africa in the first Test in Lahore. Chasing 277 on a typical turning track, South Africa were 55/4 before a 73-ru stand between Ryan Rickelton and Dewald Brevis threatened to take game away. Pakistan spinner Noman Ali, however, derailed those plans and guided his team to a comfortable 93-run win with a 10-wicket haul in the match. His partner Sajid Khan also two wickets while pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi took 4/33 in a sublime display of pace bowling on a benign pitch.

Pak skipper on pitch talk

The match was stretched into the fourth day but it was the second and third day which moved the game heavily. A total of 27 wickets fell on the second and third day combined - 11 on day 2 and 16 on day 3 - once again highlighting the 'home advantage' Pakistan had by preparing the turners. The spinners accounted for 34 wickets in the match out of 40 while only two pacers, Kagiso Rabada from SA and Shaheen Afridi from Pakistan, were able to take wickets.

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"Historically, we've always played on such surfaces and produced fast bowlers that have gotten wickets, so we've always wanted reverse swing to be in play. It's very important to have our seamers with us because when you play Test cricket, it's a collective effort," said Pak Test skipper Shan Masood after the match.

SA prepare for same condition in Rawalpindi

South Africa skipper Aiden Markram, after the loss, conceded that they couldn't capitalize on certain situations and expect the same conditions in the next Test in Rawalpindi.

"I'm not sure what the conditions will be like in Rawalpindi. I don't think it will be too different from this. I was happy with the balance we had. We felt that with the two seamers and the three spinners, we had a nicely balanced team. But we'll have to get to Pindi and see what it's like," Markram said after the loss.