The Opening day of second cricket Test match between
Pakistan and South Africa at Dubai did fetch two big surprises – one by Pakistani
team itself and the other by a Pakistan-born South African bowler.
Ever-fragile
Pakistani batting line-up was bundled out for a paltry 99 in less than 37 overs.
The wrecker-in-chief was Imran Tahir – a right-arm leg-break googly bowler who
was born and groomed in Pakistan – took his career-best of 5 for 32 in 13 overs
for his adopted country.
Last time when Imran Tahir bowled in a Test match, he was
thrashed by Australians at Adelaide nearly a year ago. He returned with figures
of none for 260 in the Test match. His comeback with a five-wicket haul against
his ex-native Pakistan was even a greater surprise. Anyone could have guessed
that South African pace battery can molest Pakistan but no one could have predicted
about Imran Tahir’s success.
Pakistan emulated its own score when they played last Test
match in Dubai – against England nearly 21 months ago. Pakistan was all out for
99 on that occasion too, but later recovered to win the Test match by 71 runs
and whitewashed English team 3-0.
It was 16th occasion when Pakistan was bowled out
for less than 100 runs in a Test match innings in its all-time history; third
time against South Africans. Only nine months ago, Pakistan was bundled out for
its lowest score by South Africans – 49 at Johannesburg with Dale Steyn taking
6 for 8. This was Pakistan’s lowest score against any country in its entire
history of Test cricket.
Another under-100 score by Pakistan against South Africa was
at Faisalabad in October 1997. In fact, Pakistan had the upper edge in that
Test match until last 30 odd overs when Pakistani batting collapsed suddenly.
Pakistan was set only 146 to win, were crashed to 92 all out.
Out of 16 scores of 99 or less, six crashed under-100 innings
were against England, five against Australia, three against South Africa and
one apiece against the West Indies and Sri Lanka.
Pakistan’s lowest score against each country in Test cricket
is as follows: South Africa 49 at Johannesburg in 2013, Australia 53 at Sharjah
in 2002, England 72 at Birmingham in 2010, West Indies 77 at Lahore in 1986,
Sri Lanka 90 at Colombo in 2009, New Zealand 102 at Faisalabad in 1990,
Zimbabwe 103 at Peshawar in 1998, India 116 at Bangalore in 1987 and Bangladesh
175 at Multan in 2003. Ironically three Test matches from the above list were eventually
won by Pakistan – against New Zealand, India and Bangladesh.
Pakistan’s Test match against Australia at Sharjah in 2002
was the worst in its entire history. Pakistan was bowled out for 59 in the
first innings and was followed by 53 all out in the second. Only one batsman in
either innings was able to reach the double figures. Interestingly Pakistan’s
total of two innings of the Test match was 112. It was less than Matthew Hayden’s
individual score of 119 in Australia’s only innings.
Pakistan’s batting has been very vulnerable in recent years.
10 out of 16 innings when Pakistan was crashed for less than 100 in a Test
innings were played in last 11 years since October 2002. In first 50 years of
Pakistan’s Test cricket history, there were only six such instances.
True, Pakistan was bowled out for 99 against England at the
same ground last year and eventually won the Test match, when England was world’s
number 1 Test team. Can it be repeated against current number 1 team? Co-incidences
are not so common and South Africans play much more hard cricket.
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