South Africa defeats Pakistan to become the first team to progress to the WTC final

After defeating Pakistan by two wickets on Sunday in Centurion, South Africa earned a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final for the first time ever. Despite losing eight wickets for 99 runs, the Proteas managed to maintain composure and achieve a narrow victory while chasing a target of 148 runs. 

To get their side home, Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada stitched an undefeated 51-run stand for the ninth wicket. Pakistan came dangerously near to pulling off a shocking upset. With a spectacular six-wicket haul, Mohammad Abbas led the visitors in destroying South Africa's middle and lower order, leaving the hosts on the verge of loss. With his unwavering precision and talent, Abbas reduced the South African hitters to 99/8 and put Pakistan in position for a historic victory.

Pakistan's moments were dominated by Abbas' superb performance. During his spell of 6/56, he demonstrated perfect control and cunning by destroying South Africa's middle and lower order. Strong assistance was given by Naseem Shah and Khurram Shahzad, but they failed to take the last two wickets. Abbas could have received more credit for his relentless bowling throughout the opening session, but South Africa's tenacity held fast.

Also Read: Who will be in final race for WTC 2025?

WTC Final 2025 will take place at  Lord's Stadium

South Africa managed to chase down a difficult target and pull off a victory that appeared unlikely only an hour before the game ended. South Africa required only one victory going into the two-Test series against Pakistan in order to advance to the WTC final. Now, it makes no difference how South Africa and Pakistan fare in the second Test. The WTC standings presently show Proteas at the top of the leaderboard. 

India and Australia are in a two-way battle for the lone slot after South Africa qualified for the WTC final. Following the setback, Pakistan dropped to eighth place in the WTC rankings, below Bangladesh.  From June 11–15, the 2025 WTC Final will take place at the legendary Lord's Stadium. Australia or India will be their opponents in the WTC 2025 final.