Pakistan may have lost their test series in South Africa 2-0, but captain Shan Masood saw enough from his side to believe there are better days ahead as they held their own for long periods in challenging conditions.
South Africa won the first test in Pretoria by two wickets despite being reduced to 99-8 chasing 148 on a difficult surface, before a more comprehensive 10 wicket win in Cape Town on Monday.
But even in their latest defeat, Pakistan showed fight as they scored 478 following on in their second innings, led by Masood’s 145.
“There were lots of good things (in the series),” Masood said. “Knowing we did really well in (Pretoria) but didn’t close it out. Even here, we didn’t start off well with ball and bat.”
“We conceded too many runs initially, then we folded with the bat (in their first innings) on a really nice surface. But then the fightback, we made our highest score against South Africa in test cricket. Individually, people stepped up.”
Masood will rue the fact his side allowed South Africa to score a massive 615 in their first innings, which meant the tourists were always chasing the game.
Not that it is anything new, Pakistan have played well in patches recently but also underperformed under pressure. Masood hopes they can be more consistent in their upcoming two-test home series against West Indies that starts on Jan. 17.
“We need to learn how to win the crucial moments,” Masood said. “We bounced back well against England (to win the series 2-1 in October last year). With our backs against the wall, we did well.
“But we need to learn how to land the first punch. We have a lot of young cricketers who will learn, and luckily we go straight into another series with West Indies. A lot of individuals in this team have stepped up when required.”
South Africa made light work of a modest target of 58 to claim victory against Pakistan by 10 wickets at Newlands on Monday, wrapping up the series 2-0 inside four days of the second and final test.
South Africa have won their last seven tests in a row, their second best run of victories behind a nine-game winning streak between 2002-2003. It is perfect preparation for their appearance in the World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord’s from June 11-15.
