Karachi Chronicles: Pakistan Dismantles South Africa on Day 4 to Seal Test Dominance

On October 15, 2025, through a magnificent all-round performance, Pakistan blocked and then defeated South Africa in the 1st Test at Karachi. The wickets, plans, and sharpness brought the locals a comfortable win on Day 4, and the series was set for the coming days.

The match was a thriller and included early wickets, a batting fall and a spectacular bowling performance that South Africa could not figure out.

Early Spark: Afridi Strikes First

With the first ball of the day, Shaheen Afridi got rid of Tony de Zorzi. His aggressive bowling gave Pakistan the first blow and the battle that was to follow was pitched already.

Spin Control: Noman Ali’s Onslaught

The player of the match, Noman Ali, spun a beautiful narrative for his side. In fact, he brought Tristan Stubbs and Dewald Brevis who had just gotten a calm fifty to the wicket by the hook. Serving South Africa the middle of the order on a platter, he paved the way for his side to score the winning runs.

Sajid Khan by trapping Ryan Rickelton also played his part in pushing the South African team into the deep end of 137/6 well before the lunch break.

Pakistan’s Sudden Collapse

At one point Pakistan were supposed to go on a batting spree, however, the batsmen fell for a collapse. After a good start, the batting line-up was broken by the spin onslaught of South African which led to Pakistan's innings all out for 167 hence giving South Africa a target of 277 runs to chase.

South Africa’s Brave But Brief Resistance

In pursuit of 277, South Africa put up a fight but were never really in control of the game. They lost 2 wickets for 18 runs at the hands of Noman Ali and Afridi very early in the innings which resulted in a dramatic downfall and ultimate defeat. Nevertheless, there were minor partnerships in the lower order but Pakistan bowlers kept up the pressure.

Match-Winning Figures & Post-Match Reactions

Noman Ali was the most deserving player of the match in the only Test for his ten wickets haul in the game. By adjusting his bowling style and delivering perfect variation, Noman Ali totally destroyed the Proteas’ plans. Captain Shan Masood was thankful to his bowlers for being so tight in such a tricky pitch, while Aiden Markram conceded that his team had lacked turning points to take advantage of and they only managed a few.

What It Means & What’s Next

Thanks to this powerful win, Pakistan qualified next in the World Test Championship rankings and took us 1–0 in the Test series. After today, both sides are looking forward to the second Test where a South African comeback is expected while the home team will try to wrap up the series early.