True. But the manner PAK surrendered this Test was simply unacceptable. If you analyze the game, SAF actually played one of their worst game - under-strength and shaky, yet won it inside 8 sessions and quite comfortably.
Don't get me wrong here - SAF at home is never an easy opponent, but look at the events. Had Styen-Rabada knocked PAK to 57/5 at lunch, I can understand - but they went to lunch at 2 down and then this guy Dunnie cleans the middle order with a 35 overs old Kookaburra!!!! Had Phi been fit, chances are high that Olieviera won't have played this Test. PAK's first innings 181 is bluffing, built on a desperate counter attack by Babar, otherwise it was like 7-8 down inside 125. This is after opting to bat first!!!!
Next innings - SAF were 44-4 with most of their batting experience back, an out of form Kok and a tail, probably weakest in SAF's history since returning in 1992...... yet, from 105-5, they reached 227, that too splited by a night's break. Ideally, PAK attack should have cleaned the tail inside 170 after overnight rest, if not inside 150.
3rd Innings - effectively at 62-1, with 2 set batsmen in and the Kookaburra 29 overs old, SAF went to Tea facing a target of 250+ at least, if not 300+ .... within an hour it became 100-6, then 120-8!!!!! And, that too when No. 3 was holding one end. Apart from Amir's dismissal, and may be Babar's ball, which of the other 5 were bowlers' wicket? Azhar, Asad, Sarfraz should hide in shame for their display - doesn't matter it's Styen, Rabada, Oliveira or some nobody - hardly any of those balls deserved a wicket. These 30+ players with 10+ years of experience were panicking like homeless kids under the pressure of expectation!!!!
Come to 4th innings - 148, by any means isn't an easy target in SAF, even more at Centurion (check some FC scores there), and the wicket was just 2 days old, still fresh, still green with added cracks on it. Did PAK bowled well enough to the purpose - may be, I give a BoD. Was their enough pressure created, absolutely no way - I wrote it during game thread - 48 of first 58 runs from Boundaries, when one should make every run hard earned. Was there any tactics from PAK Captain - simply no, he was chasing the game when he had 148 to defend!!!!! Finally, they dropped a crucial catch, which shows lack of intensity. Only, only space I can give PAK team in the entire Test is that they were hard done by a crucial catch call, which could have made this game really interesting.
Don't go by the result - losing by 4 wickets to SAF in SAF will never tell how poor PAK executed the game on field. This is probably a bigger concern than losing the 3rd Test to NZ in UAE - those who understands cricket won't ever put PAK as favorite in UAE, batting 2nd against probably any team; but this Test is definitely time not to push, rather bang on the panic button - may not be in between Series, but going back home there should be several heads rolled, starting from the biggest con artist - PCB's Chief Selector.
