The first Test between Pakistan and South Africa was one-way traffic for spin bowlers at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore before the fourth day began on Wednesday. But Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi changed all of that with his brilliant spell on Day 4 to help his side stun defending WTC winners South Africa by 93 runs .
Pakistan’s win ended a 10-match winning streak for Aiden Markram’s side. While left-arm spinner Noman Ali was the chief architect of the win with his third 10-wicket match haul, it was Afridi’s four-wicket burst on Day 4 which ensured a comprehensive win for the home side.
Chasing 277 to win, South Africa were bundled out for 183 after lunch on Day 4 in spite of a brilliant fifty by Chennai Super Kings batter Dewald Brevis. Afridi began the rot early by dismissing first-innings centurion Tony de Zorzi for 16.
The Pakistan left-arm pacer then came back with the older ball after lunch and was devastating with his reverse swing. Afridi claimed the last three wickets to fall, including SA wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne for 19, and Prenelan Subrayen and Kagiso Rabada in quick succession to end with 4/33 in 8.5 overs.
WATCH Shaheen Afridi wreck havoc vs South Africa on Day 4 of 1st Test here…
A BRILLIANT AND MUCH-NEEDED SPELL FROM SHAHEEN SHAH AFRIDI
– Back in whites after lots of drama, he looked in complete rhythm, hitting the right line with consistency and bowling over 140+. A great sign for Pakistan!pic.twitter.com/Jkmk6Y9DHQ
— junaiz (@dhillow_) October 15, 2025
But it was Noman who produced the ball of the day, spinning one across the face of Brevis’s blade to dismiss the young batter for a run-a-ball 54, studded with 2 sixes and 6 fours. Brevis had put on 73 runs for the 5th wicket with opener Ryan Rickleton, who notched up 45 to go with the 71 he scored in the first innings.
Noman has claimed 46 wickets in his last five home Tests, including 20 against England and another 16 against the West Indies. Pakistan left-arm spinner followed up on his 6/112 in the first innings with 4/79 in a marathon unchanged spell of 28 overs.
Resuming on 51-2, South Africa struggled to deal with the spinners on an abrasive Gaddafi Stadium track that saw them concede a 109-run first-innings lead on Day 3. Afridi struck with the third ball of the morning when Tony de Zorzi (16) was trapped in front by a sharp delivery that swung into him
Tristan Stubbs continued to struggle against spin before he got a leading edge from an attempted reverse sweep against Noman and gave a chest-high catch to Salman Ali Agha in the slips on 2.
The 22-year-old Brevis, playing in only his third Test, had an early reprieve when Pakistan went for an leg-before review from the first ball he faced off Noman. Brevis then opened his shoulders as he belted Noman for a straight six and two boundaries in one over before raising his half century with an edged boundary. He also lofted the left-armer for another straight six.
Off-spinner Sajid Khan ended Rickelton’s long vigil when Agha held on to another low catch in the slips. He faced 145 deliveries for his 45 runs as South Africa limped to 137/6 at lunch.
“There were lot of challenges out in the middle, credit to South Africa – they kept coming back and we built enough margins so that we could have the upper hand and glad that we finished it off. Historically we always played on such surfaces, even when we have gone spin heavy we went with a seamer or two because we want reverse swing to come into play and it is a collective effort in Test cricket. Sajid was unlucky with his injury and Noman is Noman,” Pakistan captain Shan Masood said after the match.