South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and chose to bat first in the second and final Test against Pakistan at Newlands on Friday, as the home team looks to seal the series with a 2-0 victory.
“It’s hot, and we expect the wicket to deteriorate, so we want to finish the series on a high note,” Bavuma said.
Pakistan’s skipper Shan Masood expressed his team’s preference to bowl first.
“The wicket has a bit less grass than usual, but we would have opted to bowl anyway,” Masood noted. “Both teams got what they wanted.”
South Africa made three changes to their squad from the dramatic two-wicket win in the first Test in Pretoria, handing a debut to 18-year-old fast bowler Kwena Maphaka, who will become the youngest Test player in the country’s history, surpassing former spinner Paul Adams.
Opening batter Tony de Zorzi is sidelined with a left thigh strain and has been replaced by all-rounder Wiaan Mulder, who will bat at number three. Ryan Rickelton will now open the batting.
Spinner Keshav Maharaj has recovered from injury and replaces seamer Corbin Bosch.
Pakistan made one change, with seamer Mir Hamza coming in for Naseem Shah.
South Africa have already secured their place in the World Test Championship final in June, and this will be their last five-day fixture before the marquee event at Lord’s.
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (Capt), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Kwena Maphaka
Pakistan: Shan Masood (Capt), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha, Aamer Jamal, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mir Hamza
