SA vs PAK Predictions: 2nd Test, Team, Playing XI & Pitch Report

South Africa and Pakistan will lock horns against each other in the second and final Test of the two-match series starting on Friday, January 3. The match will be played at the Newlands in Cape Town and the hosts will be keen on sealing the series 2-0 after winning the thrilling opener by just two wickets.

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On the other hand, Pakistan will be running a missed opportunity to win the first Test after leaving South Africa reeling at 99/8 defending 148 runs. Their batting needs to improve at any cost to complement their bowling attack which can put pressure on the home team. Both teams are likely to be unchanged unless there are injury concerns.

SA vs PAK, 2nd Test Match Details

Match: 2nd Test of Pakistan tour of South Africa 2024-25

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Time & Date: 2:00 PM IST, Friday, January 3

Venue: Newlands, Cape Town

SA vs PAK, 2nd Test Pitch Report

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The surface at the Newlands in Cape Town has been extremely helpful for the bowlers. India and South Africa played the previous Test here exactly a year ago and it was only a two-day affair with 176 being the highest score across four innings. 

Clearly, another spicy pitch is expected to be on offer and it will be a massive challenge for the batters to score runs. 200-225 seems to be the par score for the team batting first.

SA vs PAK, 2nd Test Probable XIs

South Africa

Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (c), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson

Pakistan

Shan Masood (c), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Salman Agha, Aamer Jamal, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas

SA vs PAK, 2nd Test Match Winner Prediction

Match Winner: South Africa

South Africa have already made it to the WTC Final and they will play freely in this encounter. Their bowlers are more equipped compared to Pakistan’s while the batting line-up of the visitors is brittle enough to break open the game.

In conclusion, South Africa and Pakistan will face off in the second and final Test of the series at Newlands, Cape Town, starting on January 3. South Africa, having won the first Test by two wickets, will aim to seal the series 2-0. The pitch at Newlands is expected to be challenging for batters, with a par score of 200-225 for the team batting first. Both teams are likely to remain unchanged unless there are injury concerns. South Africa is predicted to win the match, given their strong bowling attack and the brittle batting line-up of Pakistan.

For more updates and betting opportunities, visit Sky247.