Tag: Keshav Maharaj

RAWALPINDI: South Africa middle-order batters Tristan Stubbs and Tony de Zorzi frustrated Pakistan with a century stand, but debutant Asif Afridi struck twice in the final session to put the home side on top at Stumps.

South Africa were 185-4 at the end of the second day’s play here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Tristan Stubbs remained unbeaten on 68 from 184 balls while Kyle Verreynne was not out on 10 from 25 deliveries. The Proteas are still trailing by 148 runs, Pakistan’s first innings total.

Following the tea break, Tristan Stubbs and Tony de Zorzi continued on their merry way, notching up half-centuries which kept the visitors afloat.

They added another 81 runs, bringing the total above the 150-run mark. However, Asif trapped De Zorzi lbw to break the 114-run stand.

The left-hander departed after scoring 55 from 93 balls with the help of two fours and a maximum. The long-awaited breakthrough opened the door for Pakistan in the fading light at the Pindi stadium.

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Soon after, Asif removed Dewald Brevis for a duck to put his side on top in the Test match.

Besides, Asif Afridi, Shaheen Afridi, and Sajid Khan picked one wicket each.

At Tea, South Africa had scored 86 runs for the loss of two wickets, with Tristan Stubbs on 23 runs and Tony de Zorzi on 13 runs at the crease.

During the second session, Shaheen Afridi made an early breakthrough by dismissing Ryan Rickelton for 14 runs off 26 balls, leaving South Africa at 22-1.

Meanwhile, Aiden Markram kept the scoreboard moving with regular boundaries before falling to Sajid Khan after making 32 runs off 62 balls. His innings included four boundaries and a six.

Following Markram’s dismissal, Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs partnered effectively to prevent any further damage until Tea.

Earlier, Pakistan resumed the day at 259-5. Their lower order added just 74 runs as Maharaj ran riot, exploiting the surface with turn and flight to tear through the batting lineup.

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Salman Ali Agha and Saud Shakeel provided early resistance, adding a valuable 70-run stand that steadied Pakistan’s innings.

Shakeel compiled a patient 66 off 147 balls, his ninth Test fifty, while Agha contributed 45 from 76 deliveries with five boundaries.

However, once Maharaj broke their partnership, Pakistan’s resistance quickly faded. The left-arm spinner struck twice in quick succession, dismissing Agha and Shakeel in back-to-back overs before cleaning up the tail.

Shaheen Shah Afridi fell for a duck, Sajid Khan managed just five, and debutant Asif Afridi was the last to go.

Maharaj finished with outstanding figures of 7 wickets, marking one of his finest performances away from home and ensuring South Africa stayed alive in the contest.

Earlier, Pakistan had built a solid platform on day one through skipper Shan Masood’s 87 and Abdullah Shafique’s 57. The duo shared a crucial 111-run stand for the second wicket before South Africa’s spinners began to claw their way back.

READ: Mohammad Amir reacts to Shaheen Afridi’s appointment as captain

RAWALPINDI: South Africa left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj aims to derail Pakistan lower-order with early strikes on the morning of day two in the second Test here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Pakistan ended the opening day’s play at 259-5 with Saud Shakeel and Salman Ali Agha at the crease.

Salman survived the day and remained not out on 10 from 25 balls whereas Saud struck three fours on his way to 42 from 105 deliveries.

While addressing the media at the end of first day, Maharaj reflected on South Africa’s fielding.

The Proteas were poor in the field, dropping three catches of Abdullah Shafique and one of Shan Masood on 71. The former went on to make crucial 57 runs, partnering with skipper Shan Masood for a 111-run stand which kept the home side afloat.

“As a collective we know how important catches are, not just in the subcontinent. No one means to drop catches; it was nice to see the guys bounce back and take the catches that they did. Bit frustrating, but no one means to drop catches at the end of the day,” he said to reporters.

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Senuran Muthusamy who took 11 wickets in the Lahore Test only bowled four overs with Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj sharing the bulk of bowling.

“Probably more tactical,” he said off Muthusamy’s bowling. “We saw that the wicket didn’t play like Lahore, and we felt like we just wanted to try to restrict the Pakistani batters. I don’t think there was an issue. Sen came back nicely with the second spell that he bowled.”

South Africa struck late in the final session which made the opening day evenly poised, however Maharaj belived one more wicket could have put them on top.

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“I felt if we got one more wicket at night we’d probably have had a little bit of an upper hand. Tomorrow’s an important day. First session’s always moving day it seems in this Test series, so hopefully we can make inroads tomorrow morning,” Keshav Maharaj added.

“I think it’s important we start really well tomorrow. Hopefully we can get Saud and Agha early in the morning and open up an end with the lower order batters. But it’s about just trying to bowl our best balls for long periods of times,” he concluded.

READ: Shafique credits ‘luck’ after laboured 57 against South Africa

RAWALPINDI: Interim red-ball head coach Azhar Mahmood has hailed South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj as a world-class spinner, emphasizing that his return will bring significant challenges for Pakistan.

Keshav Maharaj will make his return to the side after missing out in the first Test, and he will pose a threat to Pakistan batters; however, Mahmood braces for better execution and decision-making in the match.

“We’re playing against the best team and they’re obviously not going to take this lightly, they’ll give it their all to comeback; they were relying heavily on one of their spinners [Keshav Maharaj], who’s one of the best in the world. It’ll bring a lot of challenges for us.”

“We know what challenges will come, and we need to see how to tackle those. On the day, it’s all about execution and making the right decision when you bat, bowl, or field,” Azhar told reporters in a pre-match press conference.

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Azhar emphasized a dry Pindi pitch and hinted that the playing XI will be tweaked according to the surface.

“We will decide tomorrow morning about the playing XI. Currently, the pitch is looking on the dryer side, and there is a possibility of changes, “but not too many,” he remarked.

“It’s possible we go with a 3-1 combination [three spinners and one pacer], but it hasn’t been decided yet,” he said.

“With regards to the toss, we don’t want that the whole match is decided by the toss. Even, if we lose the toss, our aim is that even if we lose the toss, we try to make 350 (runs) in the first innings,” he continued.

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Azhar Mahmood also termed the process as key for winning the World Test Championship (WTC), stating that the players’ confidence is on the higher side.

“Obviously, we need to go step by step to reach there — you need to play in conditions abroad, play in the West Indies, Bangladesh, and England. So the process that I keep talking about, we need to take the matches one by one. With Test matches, we’ll take it session by session.

“This team has been playing for quite some time now, the boys’ morale is quite high, they knew it was important to win the match, and you saw the effort they put in. They’re confident, and they’re all getting along well and playing together. This is what a team needs to build up,” he concluded.

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Aiden Markram hit 82 before left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj tore through the home side’s new-look batting order in the first Australia vs South Africa ODI in Cairns on Tuesday.

South Africa defeated Australia by 98 runs, thanks to the brilliance of Markram and Maharaj in the opening game of a three-match series.

Sent in to bat, Markram — opening for the first time in ODIs since 2021 — crunched nine boundaries in his 81-ball knock to power South Africa to a formidable 296-8.

Skipper Temba Bavuma (65) and Matthew Breetzke (57) also helped set the tone for the three-match ODI series.

In reply, openers Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head flattened South Africa pacemen as Australia raced to 60-0 after seven overs.

But the match flipped after the introduction of spin, with Maharaj conjuring rampant turn, and he picked up four wickets in his first 15 balls.

He finished with career-best figures of 5-33 from 10 overs as Australia were dismissed for 198 in the 41st over.

It was a strong bounce back from South Africa after their 2-1 defeat against Australia in the Twenty20 series between the teams.

Marsh played a lone hand with 88 off 96 balls in a disappointing batting effort from Australia, transitioning after the recent retirements of veterans Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell from ODI cricket.

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South Africa had been rocked by the news that quick Kagiso Rabada would miss the series with an ankle injury.

An unruffled Markram appeared to be cruising to his fourth ODI century before he was caught behind off left-arm quick Ben Dwarshuis in the 24th over.

A sluggish Bavuma was overtaken by Breetzke, playing his third ODI.

But South Africa lost three wickets for just seven runs with the fall of Breetzke, Tristan Stubbs (duck), and Dewald Brevis (six), before Bavuma kicked on.

After a breakout T20 series, ODI debutant Brevis hit a first-ball six — but then holed out to Head, who finished with 4-57.

Head’s excellent match continued with the bat until he was stumped for 27, providing debutant offspinner Prenelan Subrayen with his first ODI wicket.

Making his return since being axed from Australia’s Test team, Marnus Labuschagne (one) fell on his sixth delivery after unsuccessfully reviewing an lbw decision off Maharaj.

Cameron Green (three) and Josh Inglis (five) were clean bowled by a pumped-up Maharaj, who also had Alex Carey lbw for a golden duck.

Maharaj was unable to complete the hat-trick, but claimed his maiden five-wicket haul in ODI cricket when he knocked over Aaron Hardie (four).

The second Australia vs South Africa ODI will be played in the northern Queensland city of Mackay on Friday.

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Cricket South Africa (CSA) has appointed all-rounder Wiaan Mulder as the captain for the second Test against Zimbabwe, following the exclusion of stand-in skipper Keshav Maharaj due to a groin injury.

Maharaj suffered the aforementioned injury during his batting stint on day three of the series opener in Bulawayo.

The veteran left-arm spinner will return home for further medical assessments, with the extent of the injury yet to be confirmed.

In Maharaj’s absence, Mulder has been handed the captaincy for the second and final Test, set to begin on Saturday.

Meanwhile, left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy has been called up as a replacement for Maharaj.

South Africa head into the second Test with a 1-0 lead after a dominant 328-run win in the opening match at Queens Sports Club.

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The Proteas’ new-look side made a bold statement, with debutant Lhuan-dre Pretorius stealing the spotlight through a remarkable 153-run knock in the first innings.

Wiaan Mulder was equally impressive, making his presence felt in both departments.

After grabbing a crucial four-for in Zimbabwe’s first innings, he followed it up with a gritty century batting at number three, setting the tone for South Africa’s second-innings declaration.

The visitors posted 418/9 in the first innings and 369/6 in the second, setting Zimbabwe a daunting 537-run target.

The hosts’ chase faltered early, and despite some resistance from Wellington Masakadza (57) and a spirited cameo by Blessing Muzarabani (32* off 29), they folded for 208.

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BULAWAYO: South Africa stand-in skipper Keshav Maharaj has etched his name into the record books after becoming the first spinner to take 200 wickets for the Proteas.

Since South Africa’s first Test in 1889 against England, Keshav Maharaj is the only Proteas spinner to reach the milestone of 200 Test wickets.

Maharaj achieved the feat against Zimbabwe in his 59th match during the opening Test of the two-match series.

The 35-year-old achieved the record after removing Zimbabwe skipper Craig Ervine, who was stumped after scoring 36 runs in the 33rd over.

Maharaj bowled the fourth ball of the over on a length and slightly wide of off, but Ervine advanced down the pitch and was beaten all ends up to give South Africa a crucial breakthrough.

With this historic feat, he surpassed Hugh Tayfield in becoming the leading spin wicket-taker for South Africa. The list includes Paul Adams, Paul Harris, and Nicky Boje.

South African Spinners With Most Test Wickets

200* – Keshav Maharaj
170 – Hugh Tayfield
134 – Paul Adams
103 – Paul Harris
100 – Nicky Boje

Maharaj, the ninth-highest wicket-taker for South Africa, has been a regular in the longest format for the Rainbow Nation, having made his debut in 2016 against Australia.

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In 59 Tests for South Africa, Keshav Maharaj bagged 202 wickets, including 11 five-wicket hauls. He best figures of 12-283 in the longest format of the game against Sri Lanka in 2018 at Colombo.

Apart from his international success, Keshav Maharaj has vast experience of first-class cricket, in which he has scalped 628 wickets in 165 matches.

With the aid of Maharaj’s bowling, South Africa have secured a healthy lead over Zimbabwe at stumps on day two of the first Test match.

After bowling out Zimbabwe for 251 in reply to 418-9, South Africa finished the day on 49-1. Wiaan Mulder 25* and Tony De Zorzi 22* finished on high for the World Test Champions (WTC). For Zimbabwe, Tanaka Chivanga claimed one wicket before the end of the day’s play.

Earlier, South Africa’s Wiaan Mulder starred with the ball, taking four wickets in his 16 overs.

The first South Africa vs Zimbabwe Test is currently being played at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo.

READ: AB de Villiers warns England, urges India to use Bumrah Like Steyn

South Africa’s veteran spinner Keshav Maharaj has paid glowing tribute to Heinrich Klaasen, following the wicketkeeper-batter’s unexpected retirement from international cricket.

Speaking to the ICC while preparing for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final, Maharaj reflected on Klaasen’s impactful yet relatively short international career, praising his evolution into one of the most dangerous white-ball batters in world cricket.

“He is probably one of, if not the most feared batsmen, especially in the white-ball game these days,” Maharaj said.

“Yeah, it is sad to know that he is walking away. He is still young—he’s younger than me. But you know, we can only wish him well. I’m sure he has his reasons, and you’ve got to respect that.”

Klaasen, who debuted for South Africa in 2018, enjoyed notable success in limited-overs formats, particularly ODIs, where he played 60 matches, scored 2,141 runs at an average of 43.69, and struck at an impressive 117.05.

His career-defining knock came against Australia in Centurion in 2023, where he hammered a brutal 174 off just 83 balls — the highest-ever ODI score by a batter at No. 5 in history.

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Keshav Maharaj described Klaasen’s rise as a story of perseverance and timing.

“It is amazing to see how his journey transitioned—from being in and out of the team, probably not knowing where he stood, to one series that really changed the game,” he noted.

“It’s a huge boot to fill in the lineup, but I know he’ll still be supporting us and making sure we get over the line in this game as well.”

The 2020 ODI series against Australia was pinpointed by Maharaj as the turning point in Klaasen’s career, a moment that saw him cement his place in South Africa’s white-ball setup.

Klaasen’s performance in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 final also stood out for Maharaj, who labelled it a testament to his big-match temperament.

“He brought us back into the game and gave us a little bit of hope. We probably did not cross the final hurdle, but it was super special to witness his calibre in a game of that magnitude. It just shows why he’s world-class,” he said.

In T20Is, Heinrich Klaasen featured in 58 matches, scored 1,000 runs at a strike rate of 141.84, and registered five fifties. He also played four Test matches, scoring 104 runs at an average of 13.00.

READ: Australia to tour Pakistan for white-ball series in 2026, confirms CA

South Africa suffered a major setback ahead of the second ODI against Pakistan, as left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj has been ruled out of the ongoing series.

Maharaj suffered a groin strain just before the first ODI against Pakistan on Tuesday and was replaced by all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo in South Africa’s Playing XI.

Following the injury, Maharaj underwent a series of scans to evaluate the extent of the damage. The results confirmed that he is dealing with a left adductor strain.

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As a precautionary measure, he will be returning to his home in Durban for rehabilitation. His recovery will be closely monitored, and he will undergo a reassessment in preparation for the first Test match against Pakistan.

South Africa have named left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin as a replacement for Keshav Maharaj for the remaining ODIs against Pakistan.

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Notably, the second ODI between Pakistan and South Africa is set to take place in Cape Town today, followed by the third match on December 21 in Johannesburg.

Meanwhile, the two-match Test series will kick off in Centurion on December 26, followed by the second Test in Cape Town, starting from January 3.

South Africa ODI Squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Ottneil Baartman, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Bjorn Fortuin, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen

South Africa Test Squad: Temba Bavuma (c), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wk)

READ: Saim Ayub breaks Brian Lara’s record during first ODI against South Africa

GQEBERHA: Keshav Maharaj took five wickets as South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 109 runs to complete the series sweep on the fifth day of the second and final Test at St George’s Park on Monday.

Maharaj picked up 5-76 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 238 in their second innings, losing their remaining five wickets for 33 runs on Monday.

The clean-sweep victory propelled South Africa to the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) points table. They have a good chance to play in the WTC final at Lord’s in June next year, with their two remaining fixtures being at home against Pakistan.

Sri Lanka’s hopes of an upset win were extinguished when overnight batsmen Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis were dismissed inside the first 10 overs of the day.

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De Silva and Mendis, the team’s last recognised batsmen, resumed on 205 for five, still needing 143 runs to win.

Keshav Maharaj made the first breakthrough when Mendis edged a low catch to Aiden Markram at slip. He made 46 in a 97-run sixth-wicket partnership with De Silva.

Kagiso Rabada then had Sri Lankan captain De Silva caught behind for 50, exposing the Sri Lankan tail.

The last three wickets fell quickly with Maharaj claiming two more scalps and Marco Jansen finishing the match with his first ball of the day when Lahiru Kumara was caught off a wild slog.

READ: Tabraiz Shamsi names THIS Pakistani spinner as his inspiration

PORT OF SPAIN: Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada helped South Africa bundle West Indies in the first innings to keep the hopes of an unlikely victory alive going into the final day of the first Test of a two-match series.

Steady rain restricted play to just the final session on the fourth day but in that time South Africa dismissed the home side for 233 in the first innings and then made their intentions clear in reaching 30 without loss off five overs in the second innings at the close.

With an overall lead of 154 runs and all ten wickets in hand, the Proteas will be hoping for a full day’s play on Sunday for their batsmen to try and at least lay the platform which will give the bowlers a chance to put the Caribbean side under pressure in the final innings of this truncated match.

“Hopefully we can get a full day because that will obviously give us a realistic chance of getting a result,” said South Africa captain Temba Bavuma after his team made the most of the limited playing time on day four.

“To use the old cliche, we will have to take care of the first hour to set it up and if it’s going our way then we can throw caution to the wind to see what happens.

“But it’s imperative that we set it up in that first hour,” he added.

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Resuming at 145 for four, Kavem Hodge and Jason Holder extended their fifth-wicket partnership to 49 only for Aiden Markram’s occasional off-spin to achieve the breakthrough when he bowled Holder for 36.

Maharaj then claimed his fourth wicket of the innings when he quickly removed Joshua da Silva before Kagiso Rabada, who was kept waiting to use the second new ball as Bavuma gave Maharaj and Markram a chance for more success, triggered a collapse with three quick wickets.

Kavem Hodge and Gudakesh Motie both fell to sharp slip catches while Kemar Roach was trapped leg-before as the fast bowler lifted his tally of Test wickets to 294 in his 63rd match, all before his 30th birthday.

It was left to Jomel Warrican, the leading wicket-taker in South Africa’s first innings with four for 69, to show his worth with the bat in belting an unbeaten 35 off 32 balls with three fours and two sixes to extend the total beyond the 200-run mark.

Lungi Ngidi replaced a frustrated Rabada and immediately wrapped up the West Indies innings by bowling last man Jayden Seales, whose mood was not helped when Tony de Zorzi was dropped at slip driving at the fast bowler in the last over of the day.

It now remains to be seen if the weather will be kind enough to allow de Zorzi and opening partner Markram the chance to make the final day an intriguing one despite the loss of so much playing time over the first four days.

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