Final result
South Africa Cricket won by 8 wickets
Player of the match: KA Maharaj
Result · Test Cricket
Pakistan Cricket vs South Africa Cricket
Result · Test Cricket
Venue par · 130Chase success · 77%POTM · KA Maharaj
Match preview & overview
South Africa cruise to 8-wicket win as Pakistan crumble for 138 in second innings
South Africa Cricket beat Pakistan Cricket by 8 wickets in the Test match played at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on 20 October 2025. Pakistan won the toss and batted, posting 333 in the first innings. South Africa replied with 404, taking a first-innings lead of 71. Pakistan then collapsed to 138 in their second innings, leaving South Africa a straightforward target of 68, which they reached with 8 wickets in hand. Keshav Maharaj was named Player of the Match after taking 9 for 136 across the match.
The margin flatters South Africa slightly, in the sense that Pakistan were competitive for the first half of the match. Their 333 was well above the venue's average first-innings score of 214 across 79 matches. But once South Africa's spinners got to work on a wearing surface in the third innings, Pakistan's batting offered little resistance. The second innings lasted less than half the deliveries of the first.
Maharaj and Simon Harmer shared 17 of Pakistan's 20 wickets across both innings. Maharaj took 9 for 136 from 54.2 overs; Harmer 8 for 125 from 45. That level of combined output from a spin pair on Pakistani soil marks a significant performance, and it will take considerable thought from Pakistan's coaching staff to find an answer if the series continues under similar conditions.
Pitch report & venue insights
Cricket Stadium, Sector-16 — 13-match sample
Aggregate conditions from 2019. Numbers that tend to decide matches at this ground — par score, chase success, powerplay averages and toss bias.
13
T20 matches hosted
130
Avg 1st-innings score
119
Avg 2nd-innings score
77%
Chase success rate
36
Avg powerplay runs
46%
Toss-field rate
Key talking points
Moments the match hinged on
Headline angle
Pakistan's second innings collapse proved decisive
After posting 333 in the first innings, Pakistan were bowled out for just 138 in their second. That left South Africa needing only 68 to win, a target they reached losing 2 wickets. The collapse wiped out whatever advantage the first-innings total had offered.
Angle 02
Maharaj and Harmer shared 17 wickets between them
Angle 03
South Africa's first-innings lead of 71 proved the turning point
Angle 04
Rawalpindi's chase record backed the result
Angle 05
Pakistan won the toss but batting first backfired
Betting & analytical angles
Angles the data surfaced
- Top bowler markets may be of interest given how heavily Maharaj and Harmer dominated this match; spinner performance on this surface looks more predictable than outright result lines.
- Pakistan's top-order batters like Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan have historical big-score records at Rawalpindi, which could make top Pakistan batter markets worth considering in context rather than the team result.
- The venue's chase success rate of 60 per cent across 79 matches historically favours the side batting second, which may be relevant context when assessing match result lines in future Tests here.
- Given that both sides batted above the venue's average first-innings score of 214 in the first innings, total runs markets in subsequent matches at Rawalpindi may be worth examining against historical baselines.
For editorial context only. Not a forecast and not betting advice. 18+ only, please gamble responsibly.
Frequently asked
Questions about Pakistan Cricket vs South Africa Cricket
Who won the Pakistan vs South Africa Test in Rawalpindi in October 2025?
South Africa Cricket won by 8 wickets. Pakistan scored 333 and 138 across their two innings; South Africa replied with 404 in their first innings and knocked off the 68-run target for the loss of just 2 wickets.
Who was Player of the Match in the Rawalpindi Test between Pakistan and South Africa?
Keshav Maharaj was named Player of the Match. The South Africa left-arm spinner took 9 wickets for 136 runs from 54.2 overs across the match, forming a destructive partnership with Simon Harmer, who took 8 for 125.
What is the head-to-head record between Pakistan and South Africa?
Across 104 meetings in all formats, South Africa lead with 54 wins to Pakistan's 45, with 5 matches ending without a result. In the five matches immediately preceding this Test, Pakistan had won four times.
Where to watch Pakistan vs South Africa Test cricket in the UK?
Test matches involving Pakistan and South Africa are typically available in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket, with streaming via Sky Go and NOW TV for those without a satellite subscription. BBC Test Match Special provides ball-by-ball radio commentary on BBC Sounds.
What did Pakistan score in the Rawalpindi Test against South Africa?
Pakistan scored 333 all out in their first innings and were bowled out for 138 in their second. The second-innings total proved far too low given South Africa's first-innings lead of 71, leaving the tourists needing only 68 to win.
What is the pitch and conditions like at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium?
Rawalpindi has hosted 79 matches with an average first-innings score of 214 and an average second-innings score of 208. The surface tends to offer increasing assistance to spin bowlers as the game wears on, and the ground has a chase success rate of 60 per cent.
Explore more