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World champions South Africa recovered to level their series in Pakistan 1-1 by completing a comfortable eight-wicket win in the second Test in Rawalpindi.
Hosts Pakistan, winners by 93 runs in the first match to end the Proteas’ 10-Test winning streak, resumed their troubles at 94-4 in the second over by 23, falling further behind when they lost Babar Azam lbw to Simon Harmer for 50.
That began to unravel at 6-44 on the fourth morning, with Essex’s Harmer taking 6-50 and Pakistan falling to 138.
Hammer’s sixth wicket, Noman Ali caught by wicket-keeper Kyle Vereen, was his 1,000th in first-class cricket.
The Proteas, who play two away Tests against India next month, took just 12 runs to reach their target of 68, even with Aiden Markram losing for 42 and Tristan Stubbs for a duck in four balls.
The win was their first in Pakistan in 18 years, and ended a four-match winless run in the country.
While Harmer’s haul all but sealed victory, South Africa’s advantage gained in the first innings when they replied to Pakistan’s 333, the final two wickets adding 71 and 98 runs to reach a 404-71 lead.
All-rounder Senoran Muthusamy hit 89 and No. 11 Kagiso Rabada hit a career-best 71.
“It was a really good response after the first Test and we were under pressure in this Test again,” said South Africa captain Markram.
“There were moments when the players had to raise their hands and defend the team, and they did that, and then they excelled at it.
“We gain a lot of confidence and a lot of belief from winning, but when your character is tested and you can come out on the right side, it means a lot.”
Pakistan captain Shan Masood has backed his team’s tactic, used for the first time against England last winter, of preparing choppy pitches for Tests.
“We have achieved four wins out of six since we operated on this wicket,” he said.
“Obviously the wickets have gotten a little bit better. They’ve become more combative.
“Four out of six is not bad. Considering that we lost in the two Test matches, we came into winning positions. Had we finished in those matches we could have easily reached six out of six.”
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