Pakistan Hosts South Africa 2nd Test After Series Opening Loss

Pakistan is preparing to host South Africa in the second and final Test of their series on October 20 at Rawalpindi Stadium, with the match expected to start at 10:30 AM IST. Pakistan's strategy focuses on spin bowling with Sajid Khan and Noman Ali leading the attack, complemented by Shaheen Shah Afridi's reverse swing, while batsmen Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel, and Salman Agha are key to their batting strength. South Africa, coming off a loss that ended their ten-match winning streak, will look to bounce back, bolstered by the return of spinner Keshav Maharaj, who replaces Subrayen in the playing XI to strengthen their bowling. Despite some promising performances from batsmen like Tony de Zorzi and Ryan Rickelton, South Africa needs greater consistency, especially from middle-order players such as Tristan Stubbs. Historically, Pakistan and South Africa have played 31 Tests with South Africa leading with 17 wins to Pakistan's 7, and the Rawalpindi pitch is expected to favor batsmen with consistent bounce but slow down later, making late innings challenging. Live coverage of the match is available, highlighting the ongoing ICC Test Championship where nine teams compete in a two-year cycle culminating in a final to determine the champion.