World Test Championship Final 2025: South Africa Book Ticket to Lord's With Thrilling Win Over Pakistan

World Test Championship Final 2025: South Africa punched their tickets to Lord's for next year's WTC Final after a thrilling 2-wicket win over Pakistan in the first Test at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on Sunday (December 29).

South Africa had collapsed to 99/8 as fast bowler Mohammad Abbas ran riot in the first session of Day 4 with the tourists inching closer to their first Test win in South Africa in 18 years. Abbas grabbed 6-43 on his return to Test cricket after more than three years.

Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, however, had other plans as the pace-bowling duo showed resistance and pushed South Africa to 116/8 at lunch still needing 32 runs to seal a place in next year's WTC final, which is scheduled to be held from June 11, 2025 at the Home of Cricket - Lord's in London.

Post lunch, Rabada (31* off 25 balls) proved the dominant batter, scoring boundaries at regular intervals and shared a 50-run stand with Jansen, who remained unbeaten on 16 off 24 balls to take South Africa home with 2 wickets to spare.

Earlier, South Africa started the day at a shaky 27 for 3, but skipper Temba Bavuma and opener Aiden Markram steadied the ship to take the hosts within reach of the target. But Abbas struck to remove Markram for 37 with the ball keeping low.

Bavuma (40 off 78 balls) kept the Proteas in the game until he was controversially dismissed with South Africa still needing 52 for victory. Bavuma surprisingly didn't request a review when replays showed that Abbas' ball had brushed the batter's pocket and didn't make contact with the inside edge of the bat.

Following Bavuma's dismissal, there was a mini collapse as South Africa lost three wickets with the total reading 99 as Abbas and Naseem Shah stuck thrice in the space of a over to put the Proteas on the backfoot.

While Naseem Shah castled Kyle Verreynne, Abbas removed David Bedingham (14) and Corbin Bosch (0) of successive deliveries, leaving South Africa in a spot of bother, but tailenders Rabada and Jansen showed tremendous fight to help their team seal their first-ever WTC Final berth.