Pakistan have Proteas in a chokehold at lunch on Day 4

Mohammad Abbas was relentless on Day 4 of the first Test between South Africa and Pakistan on Sunday at SuperSport Park, claiming three wickets to bring his team within touching distance of an unlikely victory. | AFP

Mohammad Abbas was relentless on Day 4 of the first Test between South Africa and Pakistan on Sunday at SuperSport Park, claiming three wickets to bring his team within touching distance of an unlikely victory. | AFP

Published Dec 29, 2024

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South Africa collapsed toward the end of the first session on Day 4, chucking away four wickets in eleven balls as Pakistan need two more wickets to record a historic victory at SuperSport Park in Centurion.

Pakistan seamer Mohammad Abbas rolled South Africa over with a six-for to give the visitors hope of pulling off a heist of note in South Africa.

The 34-year-old took four wickets in the first session, dismissing Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma, David Bedingham and Corbin Bosch to record his fifth career five-wicket haul.

 

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) December 29, 2024

 

Having bowled an entire session, maintaining the fourth stump line, the seamer was finally rewarded for his hard work, taking three edges to drag Pakistan back into the match following a decent effort from Bavuma and Markram.

South Africa were 52 runs from victory when Bavuma was 'pick-pocketed' by Abbas. Bavuma walked back to the pavilion, despite having completely missed the ball with his bat as the ball only brushed his pocket straight back to the keeper to mark what was a collapse of note from South Africa.

From there on in, Abbas found himself on a hat-trick having grabbed the wickets of Bedingham and Bosch in two successive deliveries to put South Africa in a spot of bother.

Considering that South Africa are one victory away from securing the spot in the final of the World Test Championship at Lord's next year, the Proteas pulled off what many had thought was in the past as they 'chocked' in the last half an hour of the first session.  I  Independent Media Sport