Rawalpindi, October 23, 2025: Pakistan captain Shan Masood admitted his side failed to seize key moments in their eight-wicket defeat to South Africa in the second Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, as the two-match series ended 1-1 on Thursday.
Speaking after the match, Masood acknowledged South Africa’s determination and resilience, saying the visitors deserved full credit for their comeback despite Pakistan’s strong start.
“Hindsight is always there, but credit must go to the opposition — they kept fighting till the end. If someone had told us after the first two days that we’d be in this position, we would’ve taken it,” Masood said at the post-match presentation.
Reflecting on Pakistan’s bowling effort, the left-hander admitted that his team let the game slip during a critical passage of play on the third day.
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t finish well with the ball, and that last-wicket stand really hurt us. We’re not shying away from that. We were 98 runs ahead with just two wickets to take, but we let the game slip in a costly 30-minute phase where we missed our chances,” he added.
Despite the defeat, Masood remained optimistic about Pakistan’s progress in red-ball cricket.
“Still, with four wins out of six on these kinds of wickets, that’s not a bad record — especially considering how close we came in the two losses. As a team, you’re never perfect, but four out of six is definitely something to build on,” he said.
South Africa completed the win before lunch on day four, comfortably chasing down a modest 68-run target. Aiden Markram (42) and Ryan Rickelton (25*) shared a brisk 50-run opening stand to put the result beyond doubt. Noman Ali briefly delayed the inevitable, removing Markram and Tristan Stubbs in the same over, but the visitors cruised home in 12.3 overs.
Earlier, Pakistan were bowled out for 333 in their first innings after electing to bat. Masood led from the front with a composed 87 off 176 balls, while Saud Shakeel (66), Abdullah Shafique (57), and Salman Ali Agha (45) made valuable contributions. For South Africa, Keshav Maharaj starred with 7 for 102, while Simon Harmer and Kagiso Rabada chipped in with two and one wicket respectively.
South Africa replied with a commanding 404, anchored by Senuran Muthusamy’s unbeaten 89, Tristan Stubbs’ 76, Tony de Zorzi’s 55, and Rabada’s aggressive 71 off 61 balls. Pakistan’s left-arm spinner Asif Afridi was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 6 for 79.
Trailing by 71 runs, Pakistan faltered in their second innings, collapsing to 138 all out. Babar Azam top-scored with a fighting 50 off 87 balls, while Salman Ali Agha added 28. Harmer again proved decisive, finishing with 6 for 50, reaching the milestone of 1,000 first-class wickets in the process.
With the victory, South Africa not only levelled the series but also secured their first win in their ongoing defence of the World Test Championship title.
