Match Overview
- Series: South Africa tour of Pakistan 2025
- Fixture: 2nd Test, Rawalpindi, Oct 20–24, 2025
- Current Status: Pakistan lead 1–0 after winning the 1st Test in Lahore.
- Start Time: 10:00 AM local time
Big Picture
- Pakistan’s spin-heavy strategy continues to dominate at home.
- The Rawalpindi pitch may not be as extreme as Lahore’s but will still assist spinners.
- A win here would give Pakistan a strong start to the 2025–27 World Test Championship cycle.
- South Africa, despite losing the first Test, showed resilience and will be bolstered by Keshav Maharaj’s return.
Team Form
- Pakistan: W L W L L
- South Africa: L W W W W
Players to Watch
Pakistan:
- Shaheen Shah Afridi — key with reverse swing, especially if Rawalpindi offers some pace and wear.
- Noman Ali & Sajid Khan — main spin weapons at home.
South Africa:
- Keshav Maharaj — returns to lead the spin attack; highly effective on turning tracks.
- Marco Jansen — could add bounce and depth with both bat and ball.
Probable XIs
Pakistan:
- Abdullah Shafique
- Imam-ul-Haq
- Shan Masood (capt)
- Babar Azam
- Saud Shakeel
- Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
- Salman Agha
- Noman Ali
- Hasan Ali
- Shaheen Shah Afridi
- Sajid Khan
South Africa:
- Aiden Markram (capt)
- Ryan Rickelton
- Dewald Brevis
- Tony de Zorzi
- Tristan Stubbs
- Kyle Verreynne (wk)
- Marco Jansen
- Keshav Maharaj
- Senuran Muthusamy
- Simon Harmer
- Kagiso Rabada
Pitch & Conditions
- Expect a slower track with moderate spin, more balanced than Lahore.
- Rawalpindi weather: cooler and less dry, potentially aiding some reverse swing.
- Spinners still expected to play the biggest role in taking wickets.
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