Hashim Amla struck an unbeaten half-century as South Africa brushed aside some early alarms to record a six-wicket victory over Pakistan on day three of the first Test at Centurion Park on Friday.
Chasing a modest 149 to win in testing batting conditions, Amla took his side home shortly before tea on 63 not out to rediscover his form with just a second half-century in his last 14 innings.
- In a rare instance, both the South African skipper Faf du Plessis and his Pakistani counterpart Sarfraz Ahmed recorded ‘pairs’
He put on 119 for the second wicket with the gritty opener Dean Elgar (50) to lay the platform for the win, though both survived early scares as Pakistan’s seamers created immense pressure on a wicket that showed both sideways movement and variable bounce.
The second Test begins in Cape Town on Jan. 3.