South Africa captain Temba Bavuma acknowledges that his team has not always been ruthless when the opportunity arises.
South Africa has already secured a spot in the World Test Championship final, and they are aiming to keep their momentum going as they prepare to face Pakistan in the second and final Test at Newlands on Friday.
In the first Test in Pretoria, South Africa won by two wickets, and their recent form includes six consecutive victories in red-ball matches, matching their best streak since a nine-win run in 2002-2003.
This impressive performance has secured them a place in the WTC final at Lord’s in June. However, questions about their fragile batting line-up will be a focus, especially on the unpredictable Newlands pitch.
The last Test at Newlands, played against India 12 months ago, ended in just 107 overs, with India winning by seven wickets in only two days, making it the shortest Test match with a winner in history.
While the pitch is expected to be more favorable this time, South Africa has lost two of their last three Tests in Cape Town, once a fortress for them.
“We definitely haven’t been clinical or ruthless when the opportunity or the situation is called upon,” said Bavuma. “But I think we’ve found ways to ensure the result is on our side.”
He noted that South Africa’s batting group doesn’t have players averaging over 45, with most averaging in the mid-to-late 30s, indicating that every batter will contribute at some point.
Pakistan will regret not closing out the first Test after reducing South Africa to 99-8 while chasing 148 on a challenging Centurion Park pitch, only for Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada to lead the hosts to victory.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood emphasized the need for his team to be more ruthless when on top, both with bat and ball.
“We keep making the same mistakes, but we need to seize the moments,” he said. “We need to finish our batting and bowling innings well.”
Pakistan has won only two of their last 16 Tests in South Africa, with no victories in Cape Town since 2007.
With a bumper crowd expected for the match, it will be a significant occasion, as South Africa’s next home Test series won’t be until they host Australia in September 2026. This is their only home international across all formats in 2025.
