South Africa emphatically defeated Pakistan by 8 wickets in the second Test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday, October 23, reshaping the early dynamics of the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The Proteas dismissed Pakistan for 138 in the second innings and chased the modest target of 68 runs for the loss of just two wickets in 12.3 overs. Simon Harmer emerged as the key bowler, claiming six wickets in Pakistan’s second innings, while Keshav Maharaj contributed with two wickets, adding to his first-innings tally of 7 for 102. The defeat marked a disappointing outing for Pakistan under Shan Masood, whose side struggled to recover after the first innings collapse. The victory propelled South Africa from seventh to fifth place in the WTC points table. Pakistan, conversely, slipped from second to fourth, though both teams retain 12 points and 50 percent PCT. Australia continue to lead the cycle, winning all three of their matches and maintaining a perfect 100 percent PCT, while Sri Lanka and India sit second and third with 66.67 and 61.90 PCT, respectively. England, affected by South Africa’s rise, dropped to sixth place with 43.33 PCT. WTC 2025-27 Standings After Pakistan-South Africa 2nd Test Position Team Matches Wins Defeats Draw Points Penalty PCT% 1. Australia 3 3 0 0 36 0 100.00 2. Sri Lanka 2 1 0 1 16 0 66.67 3. India 7 4 2 1 52 0 61.90 4. Pakistan 2 1 1 0 12 0 50.00 5. South Africa 2 1 1 0 12 0 50.00 6. England 5 2 2 1 26 2 43.33 7. Bangladesh 2 0 1 1 4 0 16.67 8. West Indies 5 0 5 0 0 0 0 9. New Zealand 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Read also: Marco Jansen’s Funny Stumping Escape vs Pakistan Upcoming series and implications South Africa is scheduled to tour India in November, featuring two Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is. The first Test will be held at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, from November 14 to 18, followed by the second at Barsapara Stadium, Guwahati, from November 22 to 26. The series carries crucial WTC implications for India. Victories in both Tests would raise India’s PCT from 61.90 to 70.37, elevating them to second position. Conversely, defeats could drop them to 48.15 PCT. As the WTC 2025-27 cycle progresses, all teams except New Zealand have played at least one match. South Africa’s victory underscores their resurgence after prior underwhelming performances and reinforces the competitive nature of the championship, where small margins directly affect rankings, PCT, and title prospects.