Pakistan vs South Africa 2nd Test: Wicketkeeper Rizwan confident of second win over visitors on final day

Mohammad Rizwan, who scored his maiden Test hundred against South Africa, is confident that Pakistan will bowl out the visitors and win the second match for a 2-0 series sweep here on Monday. Even though South Africa appeared in control at 127 for one at close of play on the fourth day chasing 370, the wicketkeeper-batsman, who ended with 115 not out in the Pakistan second innings, said his team will try to pull off a win. 

“We came into this match with just one thought at the team meeting and that is we must win this match as well and the series by 2-0 margin,” he said. 

Rizwan said he was not worried about the partnership between Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen. “You always have partnerships in Test cricket. We also built our partnerships today when we batted but we are confident we will get them out and win the series,” he said. 

Rizwan also disclosed the secret behind his first Test hundred and said it was the result of a challenge thrown to him by his teammate, Yasir Shah. 

“Yasir told me I will only consider you a proper batsman when you get a hundred because scoring fifties is not enough. He told me even he has scored fifties and a hundred and I still don’t have a Test hundred,” Rizwan said. 

He said Yasir’s challenge was taken seriously by him and he had vowed to himself he would get a hundred this time. He said that in the last few Tests he had been getting out after making half-centuries and that was troubling him a lot. 

“I think with this mental thing now broken, I hope to get more hundreds for the Pakistan team and help them win matches.” 

Rizwan said the pressure of chasing runs on the final day will be on South Africa and one or two quick wickets will only add to the pressure.