Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first in the opening Test match today. The match is being played against South Africa at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday.
Pakistan selected Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique as their opening batting pair today. Shan Masood is leading the Pakistan team as captain in this important Test match. Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel are included to strengthen the middle order batting lineup. Mohammad Rizwan is playing as wicketkeeper and a key batter for Pakistan team. Salman Agha, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Noman Ali, and Sajid Khan complete the lineup.
South Africa have also announced a strong and balanced playing eleven for this match. Aiden Markram is captaining the South African side in this two match Test series. Players like Tony de Zorzi and Ryan Rickelton are opening the batting innings.
Kagiso Rabada is leading the bowling attack with his pace and valuable experience.
South Africa have a strong record against Pakistan in overall Test cricket history. They have won seventeen matches while Pakistan has managed to win only six matches. Seven matches between both teams have ended in draws over the past years.
Pakistan recently played a home Test series against West Indies earlier this year. That series ended in a one one draw showing mixed performance from Pakistan team. Pakistan will aim to start this new Test series with a strong and confident performance.
South Africa recently played a Test series against Zimbabwe and performed very strongly. They also defeated Pakistan by two zero in their last home Test series in 2024. South Africa will look to continue their good form and maintain winning momentum here.