Pakistan Beat South Africa by 7 Wickets in First Test

In the first Test against South Africa in Karachi on Friday, debutant Nauman Ali took five wickets and fellow spinner Yasir Shah snatched four to hand Pakistan a seven-wicket victory.

Nauman ended 5-35 and Yasir took 4-79 as South Africa slumped to 245 all out on a National Stadium pitch that favored spin bowlers in their second innings on the fourth day, reports AFP.

Pakistan lost openers Abid Ali, Imran Butt and Babar Azam for a total of 52 runs before meeting the target in 22.5 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, needing 88 for victory.

The second Test begins in Rawalpindi on February 4.

Azhar Ali was 31 not out while Fawad Alam, who in the first innings hit a fighting hundred, reached the winning boundary.

It was only Pakistan's fifth victory against South Africa in 27 Tests.

Anrich Nortje bowled Abid in the first over after lunch and then had Butt caught behind to finish with figures of 2-24.

Azam, on his Test captaincy debut, was dismissed leg before by Keshav Maharaj.

On a brownish wicket, it was a spinners' battle, enabling Nauman to record 7-73 and 7-133 Yasir figures. South Africa's spinners, by comparison, took just four wickets.

Thanks to a fighting century from Fawad and half centuries from Faheem Ashraf and Azhar, Pakistan had taken a critical 158-run first innings lead.

The writing was on the wall as South Africa lost nightwatchman Maharaj on the first ball of the day, bowled for two by pacer Hasan Ali.

South African skipper Quinton de Kock had a miserable 50th Test as he followed his 15 in the first innings with just two runs as he was caught off a lazy push off Yasir.

Before being the last man out as Nauman took the last four wickets in a fast 22 balls, Temba Bavuma, who scored 40, added 42 with George Linde for the seventh wicket.

Before dismissing Bavuma, he dismissed Linde for 11, Kagiso Rabada for a single run, and Anrich Nortje for a duck, to become the twelfth Pakistani bowler to take five wickets on his debut in an innings.

South Africa are on their first tour of Pakistan for 14 years.