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CENTURION, South Africa — In an exciting opening day of the Boxing Day Test between South Africa and Pakistan, pace bowlers dominated as South African cricketer Dane Paterson achieved his second consecutive five-wicket haul. Making a memorable entry into Test cricket, Corbin Bosch claimed a wicket with his very first delivery. A total of 13 batsmen were dismissed by seamers in this thrilling contest.
Paterson, who had previously delivered a superb performance with figures of 5-71 against Sri Lanka earlier this month, repeatedly showcased his skill with a standout performance of 5-61. Meanwhile, 30-year-old Bosch also had a commendable debut, picking up four wickets for 63 runs as Pakistan was bowled out for 211.
Kamran Ghulam stood out for the visitors, scoring a counterattacking 54 runs off 71 balls. A resilient last-wicket partnership of 22 runs between Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Abbas helped Pakistan surpass the 200-run mark on a pitch at SuperSport Park that has favored bowlers over the past six years.
South Africa, aiming for victory to secure a spot in next June’s World Test Championship final at Lord’s, ended the first day on 82-3. Aiden Markram held the fort with a classy unbeaten 47 off 67 balls, while captain Temba Bavuma remained not out on four. Fit-again Shahzad made an impact by taking two wickets, and Abbas, returning to Test cricket after more than three years, dismissed Tristan Stubbs for just 9 runs.
Shahzad delivered a brilliant length ball that broke back into Tony de Zorzi, uprooting his stumps, while wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan took a remarkable low catch to dismiss Ryan Rickelton, demonstrating the effectiveness of the quick bowlers throughout the day.
Abbas further added to South Africa’s woes by wrapping up Stubbs with a fast delivery that trapped him LBW, as the home side closed the day without losing more wickets.
Paterson was an essential figure in the absence of injured fast bowlers, effectively dismantling Pakistan’s top order by taking five wickets from the first seven batsmen. He secured his fifth wicket after Bosch had earlier captured the crucial scalp of Pakistan skipper Shan Masood, dismissing him for 17 with a catch in the slips.
In a remarkable achievement, Bosch joined the ranks of fellow countrymen who had taken a wicket on their first bowling delivery in Test history, including illustrious players like Bert Vogler and Dane Piedt.
The early breakthrough by Bosch led to a dramatic collapse for Pakistan, with Paterson soon in action as he exploited edges from both Abdullah Shafique and the struggling Babar Azam, who scored only four runs before being caught in the slips. Babar has found red-ball cricket challenging, continuing a pattern that began before this match.
Saud Shakeel managed to strike a few boundaries against Paterson but was soon caught down the leg side off a pacey delivery by Bosch, as Pakistan disintegrated to 4-56, losing four wickets within a mere 20 runs.
Ghulam and Rizwan collaborated for an 81-run partnership, attempting to stabilize Pakistan’s innings before Paterson struck again post-lunch, removing Ghulam and Rizwan in back-to-back overs. Ghulam fell to a top edge caught by Rabada, while Rizwan’s poke at a delivery brought another catch.
Aamer Jamal contributed 28 runs off 27 deliveries but faced the misfortune of being dropped twice by Stubbs. Pakistan then faltered dramatically, crumbling to 189-9 after losing three wickets without scoring. Bosch nearly completed a hat trick but ultimately saw Jamal play a ball back onto his stumps, while Naseem Shah fell for a catch at mid-on. Abbas narrowly survived the hat trick ball, but Pakistan’s innings concluded swiftly in the early part of the last session.
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