RAWALPINDI: South Africa will be looking to make a strong comeback in the second Test, Pakistan’s interim red-ball head coach Azhar Mahmood said on Sunday.

Pakistan beat world Test champions South Africa by 93 runs inside four days in Lahore last week with spinners taking 34 of the 40 wickets on a spin-friendly Gaddafi Stadium pitch. The second and final Test here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Monday.

“We know South Africa will come hard after losing the first Test. [Keshav] Maharaj is one of the best spinners in the world, and his return will lift their morale. We’ve prepared for all their main threats — Maharaj, [Kagiso] Rabada, and others,” Azhar told reporters during his pre-match media conference.

“We’ve done our preparation; now it’s about execution — making the right decisions with bat, ball, and in the field on the day.”

South Africa will be boosted by the return of veteran left-arm spinner Maharaj who missed the first Test with a groin strain.

According to the Pakistan head coach, either leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed or uncapped 38-year-old left-armer Asif Afridi could be called up for the second Test.

“The [Rawalpindi] pitch looks dry ... so you need to score big and not depend on the toss for a favourable result. Even if we lose it, our aim will be to score 350-plus in the first innings,” the former all-rounder insisted.

Responding to a query, the coach acknowledged that batting looked brittle in the first Test, and that it was being looked into.

“Even after that day’s play [in Lahore] when we lost six wickets in quick succession, we discussed it as an area of concern. It’s never a good thing to lose wickets in clusters. We’ve worked on that, and the plan is to ensure we handle such situations better,” Azhar said.

“On these pitches, new batters often find it tough early on, but once they get set, it becomes easier.”

Answering a question, Azhar said that the hosts had a massive chance of winning a high-profile series against the world champions.

“God has given us a chance to win this series, and we must make the most of it because we’re playing against one of the best sides in the world — they [South Africa] won’t give us repeated opportunities,” he said.

“Every Test is important, especially in the WTC. Winning a series against a strong side [like South Africa] boosts confidence. The result is never guaranteed, but we can control our processes — we must win sessions consistently and stick to our basics for long periods.”

Replying to a question regarding the type of wickets being prepared by Pakistan at home, the head coach emphasised taking 20 wickets in specific conditions was the team’s main target.

“When you play at home, the focus should be on how to take 20 wickets — whether through spin or pace. We want to win, and we’ll use whichever method helps us do that,” he stated.

“Against teams like Sri Lanka, who play spin well, we might plan differently. But against sides that struggle versus spin, we’ll look to win through spin and reverse swing.”

While lauding returning paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi for his impressive 4-33 show in the second innings of the first Test, Azhar indicated there may be minor changes to the squad for the final Test.

“Shaheen made a strong comeback. We’re evaluating the [Rawalpindi] surface — it looks quite dry, so there may be one or two changes, but nothing drastic. We’ll finalise the combination tomorrow morning.”

On the playing eleven for the first Test, Shaheen said, “Our decision to play two seamers was strategic because we expected reverse swing to play a big role — and that plan worked well.”

The Pakistan coach underlined that consistency would be crucial for competing in the WTC.

“We’re playing six home Tests in this cycle, which are crucial. After that, we have to tour the West Indies, Bangladesh, and England. We’re taking it session by session, match by match. The ultimate goal, God willing, is to compete for the World Test Championship, but it begins with consistent performances.”

South Africa’s stand-in skipper Aiden Markram said that Maharaj’s return would benefit the tourists.

“Keshav is fit and obviously it is great to have him back. He’s passed all his fitness tests, travelled smoothly, and has been bowling well in the nets.,” Markram told reporters at a presser. “He brings in great experience and a really good skill set.”

Maharaj, who has taken 203 wickets in 59 Tests, is likely to partner Senuran Muthusamy, who excelled with 11 wickets in the first Test.

“It is really important for us to try to level the series,” said Markram, who is captain because regular skipper Temba Bavuma is injured.

Middle-order batter Tony de Zorzi made a century in the first Test and Markram said the South Africans had “tapped into him” to understand “what worked against the Pakistan spinners.”

“It is good to have someone with that confidence,” he added.

While expecting a significantly turning pitch in Rawalpindi, Markram said that South Africa had planned afresh to handle spin.

“We’re expecting more spin here,” the 31-year-old said. “The pitch looks good to the eye, but it will turn. We’ve done our homework after the first game and come up with new plans to give ourselves a better chance.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to show improvement and put up a good fight.“We’re expecting fairly similar [playing] conditions. The only question in spinning tracks is how soon the turn becomes exaggerated, and you can only gauge that once play begins,” Markram underscored.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2025