Pakistan have only ever won two tests in South Africa. Let’s relive the first one when, in the spring of 1998, a young Pakistani team stunned South Africa in Durban.
6-min read
THE BUILD UP
It was the spring of 1998 and Pakistan were about to play a full test match series on South African soil for the first time. Since being readmitted into international cricket, Proteas had hosted Pakistan for a solitary test match in 1995, with Cronje’s men triumphing by a massive 324 runs – which even today, remains one of Pakistan’s biggest test losses. Moreover, the two teams had played out their first ever three match series in Pakistan a few months earlier, with South Africa again coming out on top via a narrow 1-0 series victory. South Africa were always a formidable opposition at home, and with Wasim Akram nursing an injury, Pakistan must have known that this was going to be an extremely tough series.
Still, Pakistan fought hard in the first test in Johannesburg, courtesy a swashbuckling century from a young Azhar Mahmood, but constant rain interruptions meant what was turning out to be a fascinating encounter ended in a draw. The teams then moved to Durban to play out the second match of the series.
VENUE: DURBAN
There was further bad news for Pakistan before the match as Inzamam ul Haq, who played the first test, was ruled out due to injury. His place was taken by a debutant who would go on to be one of the country’s finest batsmen – Mohammad Yousuf. Pacer Fazl e Akbar was also handed his first test cap. Pakistani skipper Aamir Sohail lost the toss and his men were asked to bat first by Hansie Cronje.
The Pakistani top order was blown away by the hosts’ opening duo of Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock, and the score at tea on Day 1 read 170-8. Azhar Mahmood, however, was still on the crease and in the form of his life. He added over a hundred runs with tailenders Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar to push Pakistan’s total to a respectable 259. Mahmood, who had scored 136 in Johannesburg, ended with 132.
SHOAIB ON FIRE
Fazl e Akbar snared Gary Kirsten in his first over in test cricket, but the South African top order seemed to be batting with ease when play resumed on the morning of Day 2. It was there and then that we saw for the first time what Shoaib Akhtar was capable of. A series of thunderbolts saw Shoaib end up with his first 5-wicket haul in test cricket as the hosts crumbled from 115-2 to 178-9. Ten months later, Shoaib would castle the stumps of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar on consecutive deliveries, and as they say, the rest is history.
Having secured a useful 28-run lead, Pakistan rode the momentum and Saeed Anwar and Aamir Sohail put the game firmly in their team’s grasp with a century opening stand in the second innings. By tea on Day 3, Pakistan’s lead had crossed 200 and they were only three down. Anwar completed a classy century.
The tables turned once again, though, and the visitor’s batting collapsed in familiar fashion soon after. Pollock got the ball to talk and even Mahmood failed to stop the onslaught. Pakistan, who were 182-3 at one stage, were bundled out for 226. Pollock had taken six wickets and South Africa needed 255 to win.
MUSHY SPINS A WEB
The start of Day 4 saw South Africa start steadily, and they decided to adopt a conservative batting approach. Pakistani pace trio – Waqar, Shoaib and Fazl e Akbar – were successfully negotiated and they all ended their first spells with only one wicket between them. By that time, the pitch had already developed marks and cracks, but South Africa, who had no spinner in their playing eleven, had not been able to take advantage of that.
Pakistan, though, had Mushtaq Ahmed in their ranks. He bowled almost unchanged throughout Day 4, and reaped rich rewards. One batsmen fell after the other and no one among the top 7 could cross 30. When Mushtaq trapped Lance Klusener lbw for his sixth wicket, South Africa were 133-8 and staring down the barrel.
Mark Boucher, South Africa’s last recognized batsman, decided to change the batting approach and successfully attacked Mushtaq. A rear-guard ninth wicket partnership edged South Africa closer to the target, but there was too much left to do in the end. Boucher completed his fifty but lost his stumps to Waqar on the morning on Day 5. Donald was trapped in front by Waqar in his next over and Pakistan had completed a famous win against South Africa, triumphing by 29 runs.
AFTERMATH
Wasim Akram and Inzamam recovered in time for the third and final test in Port Elizabeth, but Pakistan being Pakistan, batted miserably in both innings to comfortably lose and tie the series 1-1. Pakistan has toured South Africa four times since that 1998 series, but have lost eleven out of twelve matches. Their only other win in the country apart from this one at Durban came in Port Elizabeth in 2007.
Pakistan Test Series Results in South Africa
1995 – Lost 1-0 (1 off test)
1998 – Tied 1-1 (3 Tests)
2002 – Lost 2-0 (2 Tests)
2007 – Lost 2-1 (3 Tests)
2013 – Lost 3-0 (3 Tests)
2019 – Lost 3-0 (3 Tests)
Photo Credits: Twitter
