PAK vs SA: Top five performers from Pakistan’s Test series victory

It’s always a great sign when we see a Test match fetching its results by going all the way down to the course of fifth day’s play. Just when two of South Africa’s Test captaincy candidates (Aiden Markram & Temba Bavuma) had decided to brew the second Test’s outcomes into a realm of three possible results, a 10 wicket-haul by Pakistan’s vigorous pacer Hasan Ali rewarded hosts a victory by 95 runs. Thanks to some lively performances coming from both the camps, the series did have a competitive end. So here are our top five picks from this eventful series.

5. Faheem Ashraf (171 runs at 85.5 avg; 1 wicket)

A surprising cog which did play a very profitable role in each of Pakistan’s innings, Faheem did perform like lower middle-order all-rounder who gets cannier the more he bats. In the first Test, the left-handed batsman played a crucial 64 run innings, which more importantly featured a pivotal 102 run stand with Fawad Alam. Following a strong 64, he struck an unbeaten 78 run knock which helped Pakistan to post a total of 272. Overall, from his three innings in the series, Faheem amassed a total of 171 runs and also picked up a wicket.

4. Keshav Maharaj (10 wickets)

Performing with that huge added bonus of being a visiting spinner, one can say that Keshav Maharaj did have a good outing. Being the front runner in terms of wickets, the left-arm spinner first infused his wicket tally with a three-wicket haul in Pakistan’s first innings. In the second Test, Maharaj gave South Africa a prominent start by dismissing the top three with a new ball which got well shared with the pace of Anrich Nortje. Overall, the spinner fetched a total of 10 wickets in the entire series.

3. Mohammad Rizwan (166 runs at 83 avg)

Mohammad Rizwan in Tests since the England tour:

7 matches
11 innings
529 runs
52.9 average
1 hundred
5 fifties#PAKvSApic.twitter.com/Z8z8AFMHhQ

— Grassroots Cricket (@grassrootscric) February 7, 2021

Regardless of being Pakistan’s find in recent times, yet again Mohammad Rizwan had an impactful series with his bat. Batting only thrice in the series, the wicket-keeper batsman notch up a total of 166 runs. His sturdy unbeaten maiden hundred was a series-defining innings which clearly paved the way for Pakistan to fetch a win the second Test. All in all, his overall exhibition in the field has allowed him to grab a man of the series award.

2. Aiden Markram (227 runs at 56.75 avg)

Aiden Markram’s stellar show with his bat is surely one of South Africa’s biggest positives from this series. Whether it was a well-crafted 74 in the second innings of the first Test or a high spirited 108 in the fourth innings of the second Test, a total of 227 runs were amassed from his blade. His vigorous 106-run stand for the fourth wicket with Temba Bavuma, which ultimately did enlighten a possibility of an unreal win for SA, does command a different level of admiration. The 243 ball 108 was overall his fifth Test hundred which was due since March 2018.

1. Hasan Ali (12 wickets at 19.67 avg)

Unplayable from Hasan Ali. #PAKvSApic.twitter.com/qtWU9LkN66

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) February 8, 2021

Being Pakistan’s best bowler in the series, surely Hasan Ali couldn’t have written a better come back script for him. Although he had a very quiet first Test, wherein he could only scalp a total of two wickets, the entire second Test can be called a redemption story. In the second Test, Hasan first started his action-packed bowling when he removed Dean Elgar and Van Der Dussen- two of South Africa’s vital cog in batting. The biggest hallmark from his ten-wicket haul has been the way he has swayed the tail-enders with his captivating bowling display.