Simon Harmer delivered a career-defining performance, claiming his maiden Test five-wicket haul to propel South Africa to a commanding eight-wicket victory over Pakistan and level the two-match series 1-1 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
The 35-year-old off-spinner finished with figures of 6 for 50, dismantling Pakistan in their second innings for just 136. Alongside left-arm partner Keshav Maharaj, who shared 17 wickets with him across the match, Harmer orchestrated South Africa’s first win of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship cycle.
The Proteas made light work of the 68-run target, wrapping up the chase in just 75 balls to jump to joint fourth in the WTC standings.
“A Really Good Response” – Markram Praises Team’s Resilience
Captain Aiden Markram hailed his side’s bounce back after the first Test defeat, lauding the team’s collective effort and growing confidence in subcontinental conditions.
Really good response. After the first Test we were put under pressure and the guys have put their hands up and excelled: We have taken a lot of confidence from this win. Great space to be in as a team. We are still a work in progress in these conditions.
Markram also highlighted the versatility of his squad and praised the spinners’ impact in what are traditionally seamer-friendly expectations for South Africa.
In SA you'd think just seamers and some spinners, but we are very good with the spinners as well. The unit out here is one of the best.
The skipper reserved special mention for Kagiso Rabada’s crucial lower-order batting contribution in the first innings.
I have seen KG bat in the nets, but this was special. It was calculated. He's won us a Test match with the bat. Plenty of lessons to be learned, but we are a work in progress and now we head to India. We didn’t finish well in the first innings.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood admitted his side failed to capitalise on opportunities, especially in the first innings, which set the tone for their eventual defeat.
On hindsight, you can always feel you can do things differently. You have to give credit to the opposition, too. They have kept fighting and found the right mix in this Test.
He pointed to the batting collapses and lapses in the field as decisive factors.
Unfortunately, we didn’t finish well in the first innings. It put us under a lot of pressure. The difference in the first innings seeped into the third and fourth. We are not shying away, but in these conditions, it will always be a reflection of the first two innings.
Acknowledging Pakistan’s overall strong record on spinning tracks, Masood said there were still key areas that needed improvement.
“It has been four wins out of six for us. The wickets have got a little better, they are battable now. But there’s a lot to work on — the lower batting, finishing innings off, third innings batting. As a side, you are never perfect,” he concluded.
Turning Point
Harmer’s relentless accuracy and Maharaj’s control proved too much for Pakistan’s batters, who never looked settled in the second innings. The pair’s 17 wickets between them underlined South Africa’s growing spin strength away from home — a development Markram called “massively encouraging” as they prepare for tougher challenges ahead.
