Epic Test Series Win for Pakistan

This was Pakistan’s second test series victory over South Africa, and their first since 2003!

And what a sweet victory it was!

Pakistani pacers ripping through batting line ups is something I grew up with.

When the ball would grow old, the opposition batsmen would collapse in a heap in no time.

The only difference in Rawal Pindi was that it wasn’t the old ball but the new one that created the magic.

As soon as Babar Azam took the new ball, Hasan Ali and Shaheeh Afridi struck gold and South Africa lost their last 7 wickets for 33 runs in 10 overs, resulting in a 95 run win for Pakistan.

Before the new ball came into play, South Africa required a mere 129 runs with 7 wickets in hand. After the West Indies’ win over Bangladesh a couple of days back and India’s heist at the Gabba last month, it seemed like the South Africans were inspired to make another big successful run chase.

But the resurgent Hasan Ali had other ideas.

For Pakistan, this win means a lot.

After a crushing defeat to New Zealand, two long years without a test win against a top side, without much test cricket at home in over a decade, this test and series win will go a long way in establishing Pakistan’s dominance at home once again.

Not many people realize this but Pakistan has the best record at home among all Test playing nations.

Yes, better than India’s, better than Australia’s, better than ALL other teams.

And this record does not include Tests played in the UAE. With those, Pakistan’s record is even more dominant.