Mohammad Abbas achieves exceptional feat in first Test against South Africa

Pakistan pacer Mohammad Abbas made a stunning return to international cricket, achieving a rare milestone in the first Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park on Sunday. Abbas, playing his first Test match after nearly three years, registered the best-ever bowling figures by a Pakistan bowler against South Africa.

Abbas claimed impressive figures of 6/54 in South Africa’s second innings, a performance that not only earned him a memorable personal achievement but also helped Pakistan make significant inroads into the South African middle order. His remarkable feat surpassed the previous best by Mushtaq Ahmed, who had taken 6/78 in Durban back in 1998.

Best Test Bowling Figures by a Pakistan Bowler vs South Africa:

Mohammad Abbas – Centurion, 2024: 6/54
Mushtaq Ahmed – Durban, 1998: 6/78
Waqar Younis – Gqeberha, 1998: 6/78
Saeed Ajmal – Cape Town, 2013: 6/96
Tanveer Ahmed – Abu Dhabi, 2010: 6/120

Despite Abbas's brilliant performance, Pakistan fell short in the dramatic contest. Chasing a target of 148, South Africa found themselves in trouble at 99/6, but a resilient 51-run partnership between Kagiso Rabada (31*) and Marco Jansen (16*) guided the hosts to victory.

Earlier, Aiden Markram (37) and Temba Bavuma (40) steadied the innings with a 43-run stand after South Africa resumed play at 27/3. Abbas’s incredible 6/54 had put Pakistan on the verge of victory, with Naseem Shah and Khurram Shahzad contributing with a wicket each.

South Africa’s narrow win by two wickets not only saw them top the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-2025 points table with a points percentage of 66.67% but also secured their qualification for the WTC final.

The second and final Test of the series will be held in Cape Town from January 3-7, 2025, where Pakistan will look to bounce back.