South African cricket is surely in the ascendant, in all three formats of the game. The Proteas has levelled recently- concluded Test series (2025 Pakistan) comprising two Tests against Pakistan, trouncing the hosts in their own backyard in Rawalpindi, smartly & strategically trapping them using a web of spin bowling. Keshav Maharaj was most impressive, making a comeback in South African side after recovering from an injury.
Slow left-arm orthodox spinner dashed Pakistan’s hopes of winning the Test series. Maharaj caused the collapse by taking 7 wickets in the first innings & 2 scalps in the 2nd innings. Senuran Muthusamy was declared the player of the series. Primarily a slow left-arm orthodox spin bowler, Muthusamy played his best Test knock of 89* and frustrated Pakistan by constructing a match winning partnership with Kagiso Rabada.
The Southpaw showcased his batting class, skillfully executing sweep shots against an experienced Pakistan spin bowling line-up. Shan Masood missed the trick by taking the new ball on offer. In contrast, It was evident the old ball was doing wonders for the spinners.
Rabada scored 71, which included 4 sixes and 4 boundaries. In the first Innings of 2nd test, Pakistan managed to post just 333 runs from a solid position of 316/5. Pakistan was all set to post 400 plus runs but Maharaj’s brilliance and Pakistan’s self destruction mode nose-dived Pakistan’s chances of clinching the series.
Pakistan missed the opportunity to post a massive total and bat South Africa out of the match. In response to Pakistan’s first innings total of 333, the Proteas replied strongly with 404. A brilliant partnership by Tony de Zorzi & Tristan Stubbs, the combination of right and left hand batter, handled Pakistani spinners craftily, never afraid dancing down the track, plus a mix of cut shots and precision sweeps. Stubbs scored 76, whereas, Tony de Zorzi contributed an all important 55. From Pakistan, Asif Afridi was the pick of the bowlers, the 38 year old on debut bowled with tight lines, getting the natural loop, using height advantage, foxed South African batters taking 6 wickets. Pakistani batters succumbed to the pressure and bundled out for a paltry 138 in 2nd innings, from there onwards the writing was on the wall for Pakistan. Even day 4. Experienced South African domestic bowler Simon Harmer took 6 wickets with varying speeds and length, made life tough for Pakistani batters. Proteas spinners cramped Pakistani batters for room and created pressure by dot balls.
The WTC (World Test Championship 2023-2025) winners South Africa have shown mettle in this series. Conventionally, Asian teams go-to formula is to entangle non-Asian sides by pinning them down through spin bowling and creating tracks assisting spin bowling. India is famous for producing rank-turners. Therefore, South Africa drawn this series showing character and this 2nd Test match win will be a huge boost for them considering their next Test assignment is in India. Pakistan vs South Africa series always brings excitement as South Africa is a challenging side and have always produced match winners and perhaps the greatest all rounder of the game Jaques Henry Kallis.
South Africa’s overall Test record against Pakistan is outstanding and out of 7 home series, the Proteas triumphed over Pakistan 6 times in South Africa. Although, the playing conditions for Pakistan in Africa were not easy at all and Pakistani batters have struggled badly on pacy & bouncy wickets of South Africa in longer format of the game. Similarly, Proteas away record against Pakistan is also impressive, winning twice in Pakistan in 1997-1998 & in 2007-2008.
After the tragic Lahore incident of Gun-shot firing on visiting Sri Lankan cricket team bus, Pakistan was not able to hold a home series in Pakistan for a long period of time and their cricket shifted to UAE as their second home. Astonishingly, Proteas drawn both the Test series played in UAE in 2010-2011 & then in 2013-2014. Till date Pakistan & South Africa have played 14 Test Series altogether home and away, out of which South Africa has won 8 times (6 times on home soil and twice away). On the contrary, Pakistan succeeded winning twice only in Pakistan and never won a series in South Africa. Four Test series were ended in a draw, 2 in UAE, 1 in Pakistan and 1 in South Africa.
Pakistan’s most dominant series in South Africa till date is the drawn 1997-1998 series in which Pakistan won the famous Durban Test under the captaincy of Aamir Sohail. Azhar Mahmood’s phenomenal 132 in first innings set the tone for Pakistan, followed by a fiery spell of bowling from speedster Shoaib Akhtar (The Rawalpindi express) and later a classy Saeed Anwar 118 in 2nd innings gave Pakistan a solid total of 254 which included first innings lead of 28 runs.
The history was in the making, leg spinner Mushtaq Ahmed took six wickets and experienced Waqar Younis swept away South Africa with his reverse swinging skills, who can forget the bowled out of Mark Boucher on a magical delivery of Waqar Younis and perhaps that was coup de grace for South Africa. Likewise, the famous Pakistan 2nd test victory on 2007 tour of South Africa (Gqeberha) is also right at the top. During that match, despite severe pain in his knees, Shoaib Akhtar dismantled South African premier batters cheaply with the likes of AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis and the bowling all rounder Shaun Pollock. Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq’s fighting 92* at no 8 was also the highlight of that match along with a five-for by Muhammad Asif.
It is high time for Pakistan to reorganise and fix their shortcomings quickly, If they want to flourish in this cycle of World Test Championship (2025-2027).
omar.malik100hotmail.com