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#Proteas #entangle #frustrate #Pakistan #Sports
South African cricket is definitely on the upswing in all three formats of the game. The Proteas have leveled the recently concluded Test series (2025 Pakistan) that included two Tests against Pakistan, defeating the hosts in their own backyard in Rawalpindi, using a web of spin bowling to trap them tactically and tactically. Keshav Maharaj was the most impressive, returning to the South African team after recovering from injury.
The slow left-arm orthodox spinner dashed Pakistan’s hopes of winning the Test series. Maharaj wreaked havoc with 7 wickets in the first innings and 2 scalps in the second innings. Senoran Muthusami was adjudged the player of the series. Primarily a slow left-arm orthodox spin bowler, Mithousami played a Test best knock of 89* and frustrated Pakistan by building a match-winning partnership with Kagiso Rabada.
The southpaw showcased his batting class, executing sweeping shots with skill against an experienced Pakistan spin bowling line-up. Shaan Masood missed the trick by taking the new ball on offer. On the contrary, it was clear that the old ball was doing wonders for the spinners.
Rabada scored 71 runs, which included 4 sixes and 4 boundaries. In the first innings of the second Test, Pakistan managed to post just 333 runs from a solid position of 316/5. Pakistan were all set to post 400-plus runs but Maharaj’s brilliance and Pakistan’s self-destructive mood had chances of a nose-diving Pakistan series.
Pakistan missed the chance to post a massive total and sit South Africa out of the match. In response to Pakistan’s first innings total of 333, the Proteas responded strongly with 404. A brilliant partnership of Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs, a combination of right- and left-handed batsmen, handling Pakistani spinners with a spontaneous, never-dancing track, and a mixture of cut shots and precision sweeps. Stubbs scored 76, while Tony De Zorzi played an all-important 55. From Pakistan, Afridi chose the bowlers, for the first time at the age of 38, using bold, natural loops with strong lines, taking advantage of the height, the South African batsmen took 6 wickets. The Pakistani batsmen succumbed to the pressure and were bundled out for a paltry 138 in the second innings, from there the writing was on the wall for Pakistan. Even 4 days. Veteran South African home bowler Simon Harmer took 6 wickets with varying pace and length, making life difficult for the Pakistani batsmen. The Proteas spinners cramped the Pakistani batsmen for room and created pressure with dot balls.
WTC (World Test Championship 2023-2025) winners South Africa have shown metal in this regard. Traditionally, Asian teams have messed up the formula by reducing non-Asian sides by bowling spin and creating tracks that help spin bowling. India is famous for producing rank turners. So, South Africa showed character this series and this second Test win will be a huge boost for them as their next Test assignment is in India. The Pakistan vs South Africa series always brings excitement as South Africa are a challenging side and have always produced match-winner and perhaps the greatest all-rounder in the game, Jacques-Henri Kallis.
South Africa has an excellent overall Test record against Pakistan and out of 7 home series, the Proteas have won 6 times over Pakistan in South Africa. However, the playing conditions have not been easy for Pakistan in Africa and the Pakistani batsmen have struggled badly on the pacey and bouncy wickets of South Africa in the long format of the game. Similarly, the Proteas’ ODI record against Pakistan is also impressive, having won twice in 1997–1998 and in 2007–2008 in Pakistan.
After the tragic shooting incident on the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team bus, Pakistan could not hold home series in Pakistan for a long time and shifted their cricket to UAE as their second home. Surprisingly, both the Test series played in the UAE in 2010-2011 and again in 2013-2014 were drawn. To date, Pakistan and South Africa have played a total of 14 home and away Test series, of which South Africa have won 8 times (6 times at home and twice away). In contrast, Pakistan have only managed to win twice in Pakistan and they have never won a series in South Africa. Four Test series 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 1997-1998 series in which Pakistan won the famous Durban Test under the captaincy of Amir Sohail. Azhar Mehmood’s extraordinary 132 in the first innings set the tone for Pakistan, followed by a fiery spell of bowling from speedster Showab Akhtar (Rawalpindi Express) and later a superb Saeed Anwar 118 in the second innings to give Pakistan a 254-run lead.
History was in the making, with leg-spinner Mushik Ahmed picking up six wickets and veteran Waqar Younis sweeping South Africa with his reverse-swinging skills, who could forget the bobble from Mark Boucher on a magical delivery from Waqar Younis and perhaps it was the coup de grace for South Africa. Similarly, Pakistan’s famous second Test victory in South Africa (GQEBERHA) in 2007 also tops the list. During that match, despite suffering severe pain in his knees, Shoaib Akhtar dismissed South Africa’s premier batsmen cheaply with the likes of Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis and bowling all-rounder Shaun Pollock. Captain Inzammul Haq’s fighting 92** at No. 8 was also a highlight of the match along with five for one by Mohammad Asif.
It is time for Pakistan to restructure and fix their shortcomings quickly, if they want to thrive in this cycle of the World Test Championship (2025-2027).
Amar.Malik 100@hotmail.com
