Pakistan on home ground are thrashed comprehensively in the first Test match by RSA with a margin of 160 runs, in conditions that are always tough for visitors to contend with.
The valiant Younis Khan, kept Pakistan in the hunt for a world record chase but paceman Dale Steyn’s haul of five wickets dismissed the hosts for just 263.
A rare feat on the subcontinent, the Proteas dominated Pakistan from the very first day of the match with Jacques Kallis, scoring a masterly 155 to pile a mammoth total of 450 on board. Skipper and top scorer, Shoaib Malik hit 73 in Pakistan’s first innings reply of 291 as the batting lineup collapsed miserably.
It was a memorable day for Mark Boucher who dismissed Umar Gul to break Ian Healy’s record of most Test dismissals.
Riding on, Kallis scored another dazzling century in the second innings as South Africa set Pakistan a daunting target of 424.
Pakistan yet again showed poor performance with the bat as Younis Khan’s 126 was not enough with Pakistan crumbling to give South Africa a 1-0 lead. Kallis’s heroics lauded him the player of the match award.
South Africa head into the second and final Test at Lahore, beginning on Monday, knowing they cannot now lose this series. It was Pakistan’s second defeat in 40 Tests at the National Stadium and only the second time South Africa had won a Test in Pakistan.
Elated South African captain, Graeme Smith said,
To win in the sub-continent in meaningful and this victory ranks up there for me as a Test captain. The boys have really worked hard for this one and it was a pretty emotional moment for us out there.
Meanwhile, Pakistan now looks forward to veterans and heavy hitters Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf returning to the squad for the second Test, enabling them to at least, square the series.
Via: BBC
