South Africa Vs Pakistan 1st Test Highlights: Aiden Markram Leads Proteas Fightback As Hosts Trail By 129 Runs On Day 1

Welcome to the live coverage of the first Test between South Africa and Pakistan. Today is the opening day of the Test which is the first of a two-match series.

South Africa (Playing XI): Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma(c), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne(w), Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson

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

One more win and South Africa will get an entry into their first World Test Championship final. The Temba Bavuma-led side would want this to be the match where they confirm their tickets for the 2025 WTC title clash which will take place at the Lord's in London.

South Africa won the toss and have opted to field first in Centurion.

Playing XIs:

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

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

Shan Masood and Saim Ayub are in the middle to open the batting for Pakistan. Kagiso Rabada came to open the bowling attack for South Africa and Masood faced him. He took a single on the last delivery of the over to get off the mark.

PAK - 1/0 (1)

Debutant Corbin Bosch got his maiden wicket in his Test career on the first delivery of his spell. He was called in the 15th over and he struck with the first ball. Marco Jansen took a fine catch to dismiss the opponent captain. Babar Azam is the new batter at the crease and he started with a boundary.

PAK - 40/1 (15)

Dane Paterson continued his attack from the other end and first, he dismissed Saim Ayub and then Babar Azam to provide early breakthroughs to his team. Saud Shakeel joined Kamran Khulam and hit three boundaries on the first four deliveries he played.

PAK - 53/3 (18)

Corbin Bosch has done it again! He got rid of the Pakistan batting mainstay Saud Shakeel to provide yet another breakthrough to the hosts. Shakeel made 14 runs in six balls which is quite unusual from his regular batting. Wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan has joined Kamran Ghulam at the crease.

PAK - 65/4 (20)

The first session ended with Pakistan losing four wickets. The debutant Corbin Bosch and Dane Paterson took a couple of wickets each to keep the opponents at bay but Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Rizwan rebuild the inning in the last few overs.

PAK - 88/4 (24)

Pakistan crossed the 100-run mark in the 28th over of the second session when Kamran Ghulam hit a beautiful boundary off Marco Jansen. He collected 11 runs from the over.

PAK - 106/4 (28)

Kamran Ghulam completed his half-century in 52 balls. Mohammad Rizwan has also looked in control and the duo is taking the innings forward as South African bowlers are still in search of another breakthrough.

PAK - 131/4 (35)

Dane Paterson dismissed the half-centurion Kamran Ghulam for 54 runs to take his third wicket in the match. He dismissed the other set-batter Mohammad Rizwan in his next over. Aamer Jamal and Salman Ali Agha are the new batters at the crease.

PAK - 142/6 (40)

Salman Ali Agha and Aamer Jamal have rebuilt the Pakistan inning after the dismissals of Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Rizwan. The duo has added 37 runs for the seventh wicket and their partnership is going strong.

PAK - 179/6 (48)

Dane Paterson completed his five-wicket haul when he dismissed Salman Ali Agha on the last delivery of the 50th over. Before that, Corbin Bosch bowled Aamer Jamal to break the partnership which took Pakistan to a respectable total nearing 200 runs. Bosch dismissed Naseem Shah in the next over to take his fourth wicket.

PAK - 195/9 (53)

Mohammad Abbas and Khurram Shahzad have displayed their batting prowess and have added 20 runs so far for the last-wicket to take Pakistan past 200 runs. The duo in unbeaten and will restart to add some more runs after the break. Corbin Bosch will be trying to take his fifth wicket.

PAK - 209/9 (57)

Pakistan could only add two more runs to their total after the Tea break as Marco Jansen took the final wicket and ended Pakistan's inning for 211 runs. Corbin Bosch could not complete his fifer on Test debut but Dane Paterson took his second Test fifer.

PAK - 211/10 (57.3)

South Africa started their batting in the third session of the first day with Aiden Markram and Tony De Zorzi. Khurram Shahzad opened the bowling for Pakistan and soon struck down the first wicket. Tony De Zorzi departed after making two runs off eight balls. Ryan Rickleton is the new batter at the crease.

RSA - 7/1 (4)

Khurram Shahzad got his second wicket in the match and Pakistan are somehow back into the game after putting just 211 runs on the board in the first inning. Ryan Rickelton got an inside edge and Mohammad Rizwan behind the wickets made no mistake. Tristan Stubbs is the new batter at the crease.

RSA - 38/2 (8)

Mohammad Abbas got his first wicket in his comeback match when he dismissed Tristan Stubbs in the 16th over. He got Stubbs LBW out to get his first wicket of the match. Temba Bavuma is the new batter at the crease.

RSA - 70/3 (16)

The play of the first day of the Boxing Day Test match ended with South Africa batting on 82/3 after 22 overs. Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma are unbeaten at the crease with the hosts still trailing by 129 runs.

RSA - 82/3 (22)

South Africa fought back after losing two early wickets and have managed to score 82 runs in response to Pakistan's 211 in the first innings on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test match in Centurion. That's all the action from the opening day. Join us tomorrow again for Day 2 action. Until then, goodbye and goodnight!