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South Africa (301 & 150/8) claim a hard-earned win by 2 wickets in the first Test against Pakistan (211 & 237) to go 1-0 up in the 2-match series

Which side will win the 1st Test between South Africa and Pakistan?

  • Total voters
    21
  • Poll closed .
Devadwal said:
Thanks to Bavuma blunder .he was not out and that point South Africa were crushing.
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from 99/8 to 148 for win , no test team from 1 to 8 would let saffers win . Forget about Bavuma and how they were cruising . i say Pak team are bigger chokers than saffers atm
 
Major said:
no wonder the indian fans are soo salty right now..... HAHAHAHAH
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Stop spreading fake news. India destiney still own hands at this point.

Dont worry about india.

Enjoy the another lose in South Africa, have you counts how Many successive test pakistan has lose in outh Africa and Australia ??
:kp
 
jnaveen1980 said:
With all the jokes about choking SA rarely chokes in Tests. If anything they have pulled off some miraculous chases as well like 414 in Australia.
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Yeah I'd actually argue that pakistan are the biggest chokers in Test cricket currently.

This is the 3rd Test in a row in SENA where they have capitulated from a commanding position.
 
Really well played though. In the bowling was just not up to it. You have to be able to take 20 wickets and keep it tight. But that will come with experience. Khurram has barely played any matches. Same for Naseem and Jamal.
 
It's been 6,554 days since Pakistan's last Test win against South Africa in South Africa, which came on January 19, 2007, at Gqeberha, where they won by 5 wickets.
 
Man just took his team to WTC final and said he had no right to give inspirational words to his team having lost hope sulking in the toilet.

What an honest man!
 
Abid Z said:
Really well played though. In the bowling was just not up to it. You have to be able to take 20 wickets and keep it tight. But that will come with experience. Khurram has barely played any matches. Same for Naseem and Jamal.
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Naseem is an excuse here. he has played enough cricket. for me he is an average pacer and he has not developed at all
 
Another SENA test where we came close but in the end it was heartbreak.

Top-class knock from Rabada though. Can't take anything away from him.
 
Pakistan could have created history. Only Srilanka has won a series in SA, Pakistan hopefully can draw in the next match
 
Major said:
wasnt india relying on others here?
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I learnt about Pakistan's role only here the other day.

The Aus series was just that for me - the most exciting series to look forward to as an Indian fan. As for the the Test championship, if you get blanked at home, you don't deserve to be a finalist.
 
You can see why Pak cricket is struggling, the only tall bowler that we had in our ranks who also coincidentally has a decent yorker is going to play BPL tomorrow. I mean pay the lad whatever that's necessary but keep him fit for important matches instead of third rate gulli danda contests. Pay him a million dollars if you have to as winning test matches creates box office hit team & the overall value of your cricket rises (just look around the world to see what's selling & what's not but nope).

Surgery karni hai main nay sarr, sab sahi kar doun ga main sarr. Top to bottom not a single person in this gulistan who has gray matter, just barhakain & an extremely heightened Dunning Kruger syndrome.
 
Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood in the post-match presentation:

"Twice we had South Africa 8 down and we thought we were in a reasonable position. Even with the bat we could have extended our first innings score and extended our target. Those are things we need to learn if we are to compete and be amongst the top teams in the World Test Championship."

"We keep making the same mistakes. But we have to get over the line, we have to learn, we have to seize the moments."

"Saud Shakeel was brilliant. He missed out on a hundred and if we had batted well he probably would have got his hundred if he had batted with a few more batsmen for a longer period of time. Abbas was sensational and those are the performances that win you games but unfortunately we didn't cross the line."
 
Abid Z said:
Really well played though. In the bowling was just not up to it. You have to be able to take 20 wickets and keep it tight. But that will come with experience. Khurram has barely played any matches. Same for Naseem and Jamal.
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His 2nd spell in the first innings was world class . As good as Rabada. But man can't maintain intensity for a full match , let alone series.
 
pillionrider said:
I learnt about Pakistan's role only here the other day.

The Aus series was just that for me - the most exciting series to look forward to as an Indian fan. As for the the Test championship, if you get blanked at home, you don't deserve to be a finalist.
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true true, what nz did with india, surely they dont deserve to be finalist, i agree with you
 
We all know sa cant play spin saim ayub would have clean their tail and they wouldn't be able to pick him huge let off.
 
Markhor said:
Congratulations SA.

Bowlers to be fair gave it everything but the margin for error with only 148 to defend was too small.

PAK messed up in the 2nd inns when the pitch eased up somewhat. Some of the dismissals were absolutely criminal.
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Agreed. But when you have rubbish Shan and Naseem playing this is bound to happen.
 
Two tailenders smoked 51 runs in 8 overs. It was horrid captaincy and management. No attempt to slow the game or try something different.

Spin or bring the keeper up for Abbas. Maybe some short pitch bowling.

Look at how easily it happened in the end. Shameful.
 
Devadwal said:
Yes but at the start of Chase , Pakistan were favourite when they reduced to South Africa 98-8.

99% times bowling team should have win it from that position.
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I'm sure the beak played some part. Pakistan had the momentum going at that point. The collapse happened quickly so Rabada and Jansen were probably under alot of pressure at that point. The break probably gave them time to sit around, relax and think about the situation more clearly. Because they came out with a clear mindset.
 
Abid Z said:
Really well played though. In the bowling was just not up to it. You have to be able to take 20 wickets and keep it tight. But that will come with experience. Khurram has barely played any matches. Same for Naseem and Jamal.
Click to expand...
The attack is too one dimensional with no point of difference. Four right arm seamers operating between a range of 120-135 KPH. Unless it's Marshall, Holding, Roberts and Croft, you can't justify that.

Eventually the batsmen will just line you up. If we don't have high pace to knock someone onto the backfoot - at least change the angle with a left-armer.
 
Markhor said:
The attack is too one dimensional with no point of difference. Four right arm seamers operating between a range of 120-135 KPH. Unless it's Marshall, Holding, Roberts and Croft, you can't justify that.

Eventually the batsmen will just line you up. If we don't have high pace to knock someone onto the backfoot - at least change the angle with a left-armer.
Click to expand...

Shaheen was missed big time here, maybe Pak should not have played him in any of the limited over series and agreed for him to play at least one Test. It’s a tough one because he rarely gets any rest and the time away seemed to have rejuvenated his bowling. Ihsanullah needs to be prioritised for red ball cricket and maybe they can convince Rauf to perhaps consider playing some FC games though we are already running him into the ground and am not sure who else is available that can bend their back. Even with the correct resources Pak just don’t know how to utilise them in a sensible manner.
 
Markhor said:
The attack is too one dimensional with no point of difference. Four right arm seamers operating between a range of 120-135 KPH. Unless it's Marshall, Holding, Roberts and Croft, you can't justify that.

Eventually the batsmen will just line you up. If we don't have high pace to knock someone onto the backfoot - at least change the angle with a left-armer.
Click to expand...
I think Abbas is a horses for courses guy. Naseem looks and plays like he is on last legs before retirement, Jamal has a poor action that doesn't repeat or allow 4th stump movement and only Khurran seems to have a future.
 
Markhor said:
The attack is too one dimensional with no point of difference. Four right arm seamers operating between a range of 120-135 KPH. Unless it's Marshall, Holding, Roberts and Croft, you can't justify that.

Eventually the batsmen will just line you up. If we don't have high pace to knock someone onto the backfoot - at least change the angle with a left-armer.
Click to expand...
Yes you are 100% correct. The bowling was good in patches though but none were good enough consistently enough for long enough as a pack.
 
Josh said:
Damn how did Pakistan lose this !! Should have tried with the spin options to get Ranada out
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lol. Very easily. They could have tried all kinds of options but you have to been long enough and consistently enough over 4/5 days. South Africa have a Solid attack. An attack for all seasons that is guaranteed to get you 20 wickets. It’s the minimum you need. We don’t. Simple as that.
 
Our dismissals were absolute appalling and i mean it..our tail is worse than zimababwes it was south africa depth in batting which made them win..look at indias tail wagging and today Aussies after being 90 for 6...
 
Omer2002 said:
Our dismissals were absolute appalling and i mean it..our tail is worse than zimababwes it was south africa depth in batting which made them win..look at indias tail wagging and today Aussies after being 90 for 6...
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Totally agree.

Pakistan lost the game by not applying themselves in batting. They did it twice, South Africa none.
 
And to think they had Coetzee , Mulder , Ngidi, Burger unavailable.

Not sure if PAK will get an easier SA team to beat in a Test match
 

Rabada sends SA into Test final with thrilling win​


South Africa secured their place in June's World Test Championship final by holding their nerve to beat Pakistan by two wickets on an enthralling fourth day of the first Test in Centurion.

Chasing 148 for victory, the Proteas fell from 96-4 to 99-8, including the loss of three wickets for no runs in four balls.

Pakistan seamer Mohammad Abbas, playing his first Test for more than three years, took 6-54 but the hosts found an unlikely batting hero in number 10 Kagiso Rabada.

He crashed 31 not out from 26 balls in a partnership of 51 with Marco Jansen, who finished 16 not out.

The win keeps South Africa top of the Test Championship table and ensures they will contest the final for the first time and face either Australia or India at Lord's.

Of the victory, captain Temba Bavuma said: "[It was] quite an emotional one.

"It was a good advert for Test cricket, a bit of a rollercoaster. We did it the hard way but are glad we are able to get the result.

"It's a bad day to be a beer, today. We will enjoy the moment."

How a dramatic fourth day unfolded

South Africa had the better of most of the first three days but began the fourth day 27-3 with their hopes in the balance.

Experienced pair Bavuma and Aiden Markram settled early nerves until Abbas bowled Markram for 37 for his first wicket of the fourth day.

Abbas, with his immaculate lines and lengths, bowled throughout the 30.3 overs of play either side of lunch on a lively pitch.

The Proteas' innings hit real strife after Bavuma was given caught behind off the seamer for 40, although replays suggested the ball flicked his pocket rather than bat, potentially saving the South Africa skipper had he chosen to review.

Naseem Shah then bowled Kyle Verreynne for two and Abbas had David Bedingham and Corbin Bosch caught behind in the next over.

At that stage South Africa needed a further 49 with two wickets left as Rabada joined all-rounder Jansen.

First the pair reached lunch at 116-8, calming some of the drama. Afterwards Rabada played the decisive hand.

The left-hander attacked and crashed four of his five fours after the break.

It swung the momentum back to South Africa and when Jansen steered the winning runs behind point there were scenes of jubilation in the stands and obvious emotion among the players.

"There wasn't much conversation," said Bavuma, asked about the situation at lunch. "I was still sulking in the toilet. I came out when we needed about 15 runs. It was a tough one."

South Africa's route to Lord's

South Africa are top of the Test Championship table having won seven of their 11 matches.

They began this cycle with a drawn series at home against India but were then beaten 2-0 away in New Zealand.

They sent a weakened side for that series against the Black Caps – a decision that drew some criticism with first-choice players instead kept in South Africa to play in their domestic T20 competition.

Since then, and with their key players returned, they have drawn one Test and won the next six in a row.

Their fixtures have been kind – away series in West Indies, New Zealand and Bangladesh plus Sri Lanka and Pakistan travelling to South Africa after India – but a victory for a side outside the sport's big three of India, Australia and England should be celebrated.

"It is a big one, not just for myself but the team and the coach as well," Bavuma said.

"We have always said we weren't given much of a chance.

"As a team we have overcome a lot. We haven't been super dominant or ruthless but have always found a way."

www.bbc.com

South Africa qualify for World Test Championship final by beating Pakistan

South Africa secure their place in June's World Test Championship final by holding their nerve to beat Pakistan by two wickets on an enthralling fourth day of the first Test in Centurion.
www.bbc.com
 
Today should be announced tailenders day, the way how tailenders in both India vs Aus and SA vs Pak matches batted beautifully and recovered their team from precarious situations..These matches shows that tests can be more interesting than T20 provided players play with Intent and determination..its like watching slow burn thriller web series..
 
Sarfaraz Ahmed's Insta story

jg88UN6.jpg
 
Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood in post-match press conference after losing the 1st Test against South Africa:

Pakistan's performance and missed opportunities:

"The message for us is very clear that we're good at competing, but when we play in conditions like Australia and South Africa, we have to be ruthless. We need to finish games off and seize moments."

"We had the game in our hands at various points and we need to close that off if we have to win Test matches against top teams. We had partnerships, like Babar and Saud, or me and Saim, in both innings that looked really good, but we let South Africa back into the game too many times."

"When we had them on the ropes, we didn’t have that cushion to sort of accept mistakes and still stay in a winning position. We had the chance to get that cushion with the bat in the first innings, third innings, or with the ball. But we didn’t manage to get there."

Mohammad Abbas and Saud Shakeel's Performance:

"Age is just a number. Mohammad Abbas bowled a marathon spell, and his performance was commendable. A performance like that should have been on the winning side. The disappointing thing is that performances like Mohammad Abbas' and Saud Shakeel’s innings should have been on the winning side. If we had batted a bit better with Shakeel, he would have scored his hundred at Centurion."

Pakistan’s struggles in closing out matches:

"I don’t think it’s a quality issue. The quality is there, but to be a top team, like South Africa, we need to be ruthless and learn from our defeats. We have to respond to this challenge. Once we get into winning positions, we must make sure that we finish the job and don’t let the other team back in."

Batting failures and opportunities lost:

"We’ve made mistakes in all four innings. We had the game in our hands, whether that was with the bat or the ball. In the first innings, we should have scored more than 211. And even in the first session yesterday, when we had two set batters, we should have built on that."

Learning from defeats:

"We're learning the hard way through defeat, but this is a part of the challenge. We need to ensure that we improve and respond better next time."
 
If i were manager of this team i would have kicked over the butt of every player except Abbas and then ordered any player to kick me on my same region.
 
I see some of Pakistan fans including @Major @DeadlyVenom were saying Abbas is better than Bumrah after taking the 6th wickets hall

Lol shardul thakur had already taken 7 wickets hall in South Africa against much superior South Africa side still no one rated him .

Abbas is just another pakistani trundler who has already forgeted for few year's and likely to forget forever after few months .

:kp
 
South Africa now have a 6-match winning streak in Test format.

As for Pakistan, they fought well but just couldn't cross over the line. Abbas was superb.
 
Devadwal said:
I see some of Pakistan fans including @Major @DeadlyVenom were saying Abbas is better than Bumrah after taking the 6th wickets hall

Lol shardul thakur had already taken 7 wickets hall in South Africa against much superior South Africa side still no one rated him .

Abbas is just another pakistani trundler who has already forgeted for few year's and likely to forget forever after few months .

:kp
Click to expand...
Abbas has a phenomenal record in helpful conditions.

And don't tell lies did I say he was better?
 
Devadwal said:
I see some of Pakistan fans including @Major @DeadlyVenom were saying Abbas is better than Bumrah after taking the 6th wickets hall

Lol shardul thakur had already taken 7 wickets hall in South Africa against much superior South Africa side still no one rated him .

Abbas is just another pakistani trundler who has already forgeted for few year's and likely to forget forever after few months .

:kp
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Why are you pouring salt over their wound?




Should have given chilli sause
 
Well fought by Pakistan. The first innings lead they conceded proved too much for Pakistan in the end.

Did not watch the SA chase, but it looks like Ramada played a gem. It hurts when a bowler bats this way and wins the game for the opposition.
 
One thing is for sure about SA in the last year or so. They are a team in decline in all formats. The new talent is not up for the task to win matches for SA. They have become a middle tier team now.
 
What an all-time performance from Abbas but sadly wasted on a loss. Crazy they were even able to get it to a position where they were favourites in the game but the game was given yet again with 8 wickets down. Far too many runs in the first innings when Pakistan had them 8 down and had em' down 8 again in a position to win... just heart breaking stuff. A very much multiple lost opportunities for Pakistan. Always feels like a curse in SA & Australia where Pakistan can find themselves positions of advantage and then calamity ensues where Pakistan fall apart.

It doesn't help Pakistani batsmen dismissals were abysmal throughout the game. I still cannot believe we Paterson a 5fer in the first innings and then a 6fer to Jansen on mostly rubbish deliveries. It's been that type of year in Pakistan from being unable to defend 12 off 3 or complete run a ball chase vs India and losing 2-0 vs Bangladesh at home with the opposition having better understanding of your condition & pitches.

It would be nice to type something other than the boys fought hard and they really did but just being a bit smarter with the bat & ball and it could have been one hell of a win. An opportunity gone begging.
 
Pakistani love and romance affair with tailenders of opposition has reached its peak.

Their pacers are now singing a song -
Jab koi tailender dekhu mera dil diwana bole Ole Ole Ole, Ole Ole Ole 💕
 
Pakistan missed the 4th seamer here on this wicket... thats why i am not in the favour of Aamir Jamal who is neither a bowler or a batter.
 
shaz619 said:
Shaheen was missed big time here, maybe Pak should not have played him in any of the limited over series and agreed for him to play at least one Test. It’s a tough one because he rarely gets any rest and the time away seemed to have rejuvenated his bowling. Ihsanullah needs to be prioritised for red ball cricket and maybe they can convince Rauf to perhaps consider playing some FC games though we are already running him into the ground and am not sure who else is available that can bend their back. Even with the correct resources Pak just don’t know how to utilise them in a sensible manner.
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Considering the bounce Jansen was getting in the second innings, Shaheen could have bought a real point of difference to the bowling attack with his height and left arm angle. He probably would have been the fastest or second fastest pacer in the match after Rabada. And he wouldn't have needed to bowl a ton of overs either considering the pitch and the fact that PAK went with an all-pace attack. Pretty pathetic stuff from Aqib Javed to "rest him".
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Considering the bounce Jansen was getting in the second innings, Shaheen could have bought a real point of difference to the bowling attack with his height and left arm angle. He probably would have been the fastest or second fastest pacer in the match after Rabada. And he wouldn't have needed to bowl a ton of overs either considering the pitch and the fact that PAK went with an all-pace attack. Pretty pathetic stuff from Aqib Javed to "rest him".
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Shaheen needs the rest, for once they are giving it to him and I will take that because we saw a drastic improvement in his bowling recently which I don’t want to take for granted as he has been average for some time. But there is valid criticism for which games he should and shouldn’t play and he ought to have at least played one Test here, though I wouldn’t have expected him to escape bowling a ton of overs, there is rarely forward thinking in this regard and Pak bowlers are typically run into the ground.
 
shaz619 said:
Shaheen needs the rest, for once they are giving it to him and I will take that because we saw a drastic improvement in his bowling recently which I don’t want to take for granted as he has been average for some time. But there is valid criticism for which games he should and shouldn’t play and he ought to have at least played one Test here, though I wouldn’t have expected him to escape bowling a ton of overs, there is rarely forward thinking in this regard and Pak bowlers are typically run into the ground.
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If you wanted to rest him then the T20Is and the ODIs would have been the place to do that. Not the test matches. In this match, with Abbas bowling those long and economical spells, the rotation of bowlers became far easier for Pakistan than it usually is. And if you were concerned about his fitness then you could have rested him in one test match. This is pretty much the only high-profile overseas test series that Pakistan will be playing for a very long time. Their next test series is against West Indies at home where you would expect spin to dominate again and Shaheen to likely sit out again. Who even knows when the next time will be when we tour South Africa? Pakistan needed their premier fast-bowler on this tour and him not even playing is very disappointing.
 
shaz619 said:
Shaheen needs the rest, for once they are giving it to him and I will take that because we saw a drastic improvement in his bowling recently which I don’t want to take for granted as he has been average for some time. But there is valid criticism for which games he should and shouldn’t play and he ought to have at least played one Test here, though I wouldn’t have expected him to escape bowling a ton of overs, there is rarely forward thinking in this regard and Pak bowlers are typically run into the ground.
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Their next SENA tours are England in summer 2026 and New Zealand in March 2027. Which is why I am especially disappointed that Shaheen didn't play this series. SENA tours are where our fast-bowlers have the opportunity to show what they are capable of and define their legacy. At the same time though I don't want to put all the blame on Aqib. Shaheen himself does not seem that interested in being great in the most important format.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
If you wanted to rest him then the T20Is and the ODIs would have been the place to do that. Not the test matches. In this match, with Abbas bowling those long and economical spells, the rotation of bowlers became far easier for Pakistan than it usually is. And if you were concerned about his fitness then you could have rested him in one test match. This is pretty much the only high-profile overseas test series that Pakistan will be playing for a very long time. Their next test series is against West Indies at home where you would expect spin to dominate again and Shaheen to likely sit out again. Who even knows when the next time will be when we tour South Africa? Pakistan needed their premier fast-bowler on this tour and him not even playing is very disappointing.
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Yes, it's even worse in hindsight. They are prioritising the CT, and nothing less than a spot/win in the final would make up for this. Am just hoping Shaheen can keep up his recent form from the limited over series and doesn't use his 'rest' period to play franchise cricket. But questions certainly should be asked, like it made a lot more sense for him to be rested from the BD series and arguably the England series (which he was dropped for after the BD debacle), and had him playing in SA which is a fast bowlers paradise. Mickey Arthur had some very sensible plans when it came to rotating our fast bowling resources in the past before he was usurped, it would have been in Pak's interest for premier bowlers to mainly be used in SENA, nowadays though like you said we don't know when we may get another tour in these countries and where you use to have a 3 match series, it's now just a couple of matches which is another big shame because Tests are consistently so entertaining away from Asia for the most part and the best advert for the game. Cricket as a sport has declined but Tests are still so much fun and the bread/butter of the game.
 
For me this was a batting failure more than anything else. Babar and Rizwan's dismissals were so irresponsible. Salman also just crazy batting in that second innings. Generations come and go but lessons simply never get learned by our overall batting unit. There's always just one player on their day that applies themselves with discipline and the rest just fall apart with no patience or guile. It was the same with Inzi and all the so called greats. As soon as Rabada knew the shackles were off and he could just go for it, there was every chance they would get over the line.
 
shaz619 said:
Yes, it's even worse in hindsight. They are prioritising the CT, and nothing less than a spot/win in the final would make up for this. Am just hoping Shaheen can keep up his recent form from the limited over series and doesn't use his 'rest' period to play franchise cricket. But questions certainly should be asked, like it made a lot more sense for him to be rested from the BD series and arguably the England series (which he was dropped for after the BD debacle), and had him playing in SA which is a fast bowlers paradise. Mickey Arthur had some very sensible plans when it came to rotating our fast bowling resources in the past before he was usurped, it would have been in Pak's interest for premier bowlers to mainly be used in SENA, nowadays though like you said we don't know when we may get another tour in these countries and where you use to have a 3 match series, it's now just a couple of matches which is another big shame because Tests are consistently so entertaining away from Asia for the most part and the best advert for the game. Cricket as a sport has declined but Tests are still so much fun and the bread/butter of the game.
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Yeah absolutely. Even in the England series they played him in the match where they had that dead flat pancake wicket where England scored 800+. That is how you run your fast-bowlers into the ground. There was no need for him to play that match. I agree Mickey understood very well how to use the fast-bowlers. I thought the fast-bowlers did fairly okay on the last tour of South Africa. Ofcourse we were hurt bad by Abbas getting injured and when he came back he wasn't 100%. But you still had Amir and Shaheen with Faheem Ashraf playing the supporting role. Hasan Ali was also part of the attack. They had the right idea. They were up against a far superior South African side but they had their moments even on that tour.
 
hass said:
For me this was a batting failure more than anything else. Babar and Rizwan's dismissals were so irresponsible. Salman also just crazy batting in that second innings. Generations come and go but lessons simply never get learned by our overall batting unit. There's always just one player on their day that applies themselves with discipline and the rest just fall apart with no patience or guile. It was the same with Inzi and all the so called greats. As soon as Rabada knew the shackles were off and he could just go for it, there was every chance they would get over the line.
Click to expand...
This has become a sad and disappointing trend for them in SENA for what feels like ages now. In one session they go from being in a commanding position to throwing it all away with a batting collapse of epic proportions. Most recently, we saw it in the Sydney Test. They had Australia by the throat, and after managing to take a slender lead, they were 58-2 in the second innings. Then, before you know it, they were all out for 115.
 
Shan Masood captaincy was awful why would you bring Jamal into the attack with the opposition needing less than 20 runs.Also he was gifting singles to the tailenders.
 
Incredible how one track minds downplay Rizwan innings in the first innings and Babar in the second. They were crucial knocks considering the conditions and the pitch. They should have kicked on yes but rather than going after a wicket keeper why not criticise Masood, KG, Agha?
 
Poor captaincy from Shan has cost the game in the end.

Bringing on Jamal who is a wicket taker in the second last over is dumb to say the least.

Saim should of been brought on against Rabada.

Shans leadership has been poor and bereft of ideas.
 
‘Not going to apologise’: SA coach hits back at criticism of Proteas ‘easy run’ to WTC Final

South African coach Shukri Conrad brushed off criticism about the uneven scheduling of the World Test Championship after his team qualified for the final.

Watch South Africa vs Pakistan ODI & Test Series LIVE on Kayo | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.

South Africa beat Pakistan in a dramatic two-wicket win in Centurion on Sunday to earn their sixth successive Test win.

On the average points system used for the championship, the South Africans are guaranteed a place in the final next June, even if they lose their last match, the second Test against Pakistan starting in Cape Town on Friday.

“People abroad will be shouting that we had an easy draw. Well, I’m not going to apologise for that. We’re just thrilled that we can be at Lord’s next year,” Conrad said after the victory against Pakistan.

Australia’s win against India in Melbourne on Monday put them in pole position to join South Africa at Lord’s, although they still have to play a fifth Test against India and two matches away against Sri Lanka.

South Africa’s path to the final illustrated the imbalance in the quantity and quality of the fixtures for the nine teams contesting the World Test Championship (WTC), a fact highlighted by former England captain Michael Vaughan, who called for a revamp of the format.


www.foxsports.com.au

‘Not going to apologise’: SA coach hits back at criticism of Proteas ‘easy run’ to WTC Final

‘Not going to apologise’: SA coach hits back at criticism of Proteas ‘easy run’ to WTC Final
www.foxsports.com.au www.foxsports.com.au
 
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The Bald Eagle
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Australia (337 & 19/0) defeat India (180 & 175) by 10 wickets in the second Test match to level the 5-match series 1-1
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