South Africa VS Pakistan 2nd Test Venue: Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town
South Africa VS Pakistan 2nd Test Date: Thursday, January 3 to Sunday, Monday, January 7
BetXchange South Africa VS Pakistan 1st Test Test Odds:
History
Welcome to the very definition of a free hit.
South Africa had to win five of its remaining six fixtures to book a place in the ICC World Test Championship final for the first time. After 2-0 whitewashes over Bangladesh in October and Sri Lanka at the beginning of December, the Proteas knew one win against Pakistan would seal their spot at Lord’s for the one-off Test final in June.
After a thrilling win in the Boxing Day Test over Pakistan, South Africa is locked into the final. The Proteas will play either India, Sri Lanka, or Australia, with Sri Lanka’s two-Test tour of Australia later in January deciding their opponent. This means that South Africa can experiment for this Test, their final one of this cycle.
The Proteas will want to close out this series of matches against the touring Pakistanis with a win. This is the third format of the tour, with the two nations having shared the spoils so far.
The nations first faced off in white-ball cricket in mid-December. South Africa won the three-match T20I series 2-0, taking the first two contests before the third was abandoned due to rain.
The tables tuned in the ODIs, with Pakistan dominating the series. They swept the Proteas in their backyard, winning Paarl, Cape Town, and Johannesburg matches.
South Africa has never not won a home series against Pakistan. The hosts have now also won eight straight against the South Asian nation, so in that context, there is still plenty for both teams to play for in this final contest of a grueling eight-match, cross-format tour.
South Africa
It will be a long time between now and June when South Africa will take to the pitch at Lord’s. The Proteas will want to keep their winning streak going and head into that Test in style, so expect the hosts to give this everything they have, even if there is seemingly nothing on the line.
Keshav Maharaj is back in the side, with Newlands expected to be more ready to spin than the all-out pacefest that is Centurian. Maharaj is coming off of an adductor injury, and his record of just nine wickets in six Newlands matches is disappointing, but he will expect to be a big part of the bowling attack.
Pakistan
Pakistan has developed a bad habit of losing Tests from winning positions. That is why their World Test Championship hopes were extinguished early in the cycle, and they have lost seven of their last nine Test matches.
The Test in Centurian was another example, with South Africa needing 49 runs to win with just two wickets remaining. One fundamental issue has been Pakistan’s inability to mop up tail-enders quickly, with the batting also-rans consistently proving to be too tough of an out to close out a Test.
Best Bets
There is a debut for 18-year-old fast bowler Kwena Maphaka in the South Africa side. He is 51/20 to be the top bowler and possibly worth a bet, given his electric pace and the fact that the Pakistan batsmen have never faced him.
Take South Africa to win.
