Match overview
Pakistan beat South Africa by 93 runs in a Test match at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on 12 October 2025. Pakistan won the toss, chose to bat, and posted 378 in their first innings, well above the venue's average first-innings score of 208 across 145 Test matches. South Africa replied with 269, leaving Pakistan 109 runs ahead. A second-innings collapse to 167 all out set South Africa 277 to win, a target the tourists never looked like reaching. They were bowled out for 183, handing Pakistan victory with 93 runs to spare. Nauman Ali, the left-arm spinner, was named Player of the Match after taking 10 wickets across the match.
The match was shaped by spin from both ends. S Muthusamy's 11 wickets for 174 runs from 49 overs was a fine return for South Africa and ensured the game remained competitive into the final innings. But Nauman Ali's 10 wickets for 191 runs from 63 overs gave Pakistan slightly more control, particularly as the pitch wore. South Africa's second innings of 183 was 94 runs short of what they needed.
Pakistan have now won four of the last five meetings between the sides in 2025. South Africa still hold the overall head-to-head advantage, 54 wins to 45 across 104 meetings, but Pakistan's dominance on home pitches in this period is clear.
Venue and conditions
Gaddafi Stadium is one of Pakistan's most established Test venues, and its numbers tell a consistent story. Across 145 matches, the average first-innings score sits at 208 and the second-innings average drops to 177. Chasing teams win here 43 per cent of the time. Pakistan's decision to bat first after winning the toss aligned directly with what the data suggests: teams that post a big first-innings total at this ground are significantly harder to beat.
The pitch in Lahore tends to offer pace and carry early before the surface breaks down and assists spin. By the fourth innings, slow bowlers typically dominate, and the turn Nauman Ali extracted across South Africa's second innings was consistent with how the ground behaves in October. Toss winners have chosen to field in 49 per cent of matches here, reflecting the fact that neither decision is obviously wrong on the first morning. In this instance, Pakistan's batting-first call proved exactly right.
South Africa's second-innings collapse to 183, in a chase of 277, fits the venue pattern well. The fourth innings at Gaddafi Stadium regularly exposes batting line-ups that lack experience of playing spin on deteriorating pitches.
How to watch
Test cricket featuring Pakistan is broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket. Subscribers can stream matches live via Sky Go, and day passes or monthly access to Sky Sports is available through NOW TV for those without a full subscription. For ICC events and some bilateral series, BBC Radio's Test Match Special also provides live ball-by-ball coverage, which is free to access.
Test matches run across up to five days, so scheduling coverage will vary by session. Matches in Pakistan begin at 05:00 BST or 06:00 GMT depending on the time of year, so UK viewers will find morning sessions running through the early hours of the domestic day.
Recent form
Pakistan arrived at this fixture with a 3-2 record across their last five matches in 2025, with wins over Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and UAE offset by two losses to India. Their home form has been the stronger element of that record, and this result continues the pattern.
South Africa's recent run was more concerning. They won two of their last five matches, both against England, but lost the other three fixtures including a defeat to Namibia. Their batting has looked vulnerable across formats, and the Lahore surface exposed those weaknesses in both innings. A top-order that struggled against England's attack found Nauman Ali's spin no easier to negotiate.
