Proteas spin ace hoping for 'a little bit more luck' to restrict to Pakistan to 'less than 380'

1st Test, Day 1, Stumps

Pakistan: 313/5 (Imam 93, Masood 76, Rizwan 62*, Salman 52*, Muthusamy 2/101)

The Proteas have long stuck to their convictions of relying on their pace bowlers to lead the attack in Test matches on the subcontinent.

It's a template they have often stubbornly refused to veer from. But having won just one Test series in Asia since 2014, Proteas coach Shukri Conrad decided to tear up the script and field three specialist spinners in the first Test against Pakistan at Lahore Gaddafi’s Stadium on Sunday.

Conrad’s choice of three spinners - Prenelan Subrayen, Senuran Muthusamy and Simon Harmer - meant the World Test Championship-winning new-ball pairing of Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen were separated. 

Corbin Bosch, who took six wickets in his last Test, was also relegated to drinks-carrier along with Jansen as allrounder Wiaan Mulder shared the new ball with Rabada.

Mulder bowled just two overs - his only contribution with the ball for the entire day - with Subrayen, almost like in a T20 Powerplay, was called upon after just five overs. 

It was the first of his 20 overs, and along with Harmer (28) and Muthusamy (26), the Proteas spin trio delivered 75 of the 90 overs on the opening day, which ended with Pakistan reaching a credible 313/5, which vindicated captain Shan Masood’s decision to bat first after winning the toss.

Harmer, who was playing his first Test since Conrad’s first series as coach back in 2023, believes the Proteas spin arsenal stuck to their task, especially after reducing Pakistan to 199/5 shortly after the tea interval, and could have placed their team in a better position if they had the rub of the green, especially with a couple of close umpire referrals going against the visitors. 

"We created chances, we didn't go away," Harmer said. "I think in the subcontinent you need a bit of luck; a drag-on, a nick, umpire's call decisions that don't go your way but on another day they might."

But there’s also the adage of making your own luck, and the Proteas did not help themselves by dropping three catches on the day with the culprits being Tony de Zorzi, Mulder and captain Aiden Markram.

Markram’s, in particular, would have hurt the most as it was the most straightforward at slip and came towards the end of the day. It would have brought Salman Agha’s innings to a close, but instead the middle-order batter is still unbeaten on 52 with the 114-run partnership with Mohammad Rizwan (62 not out) potentially growing even further on Monday.

“Nobody means to drop catches. It's the way that cricket goes. Sharp chances,” Harmer said. 

It's a split-second reaction.  It was a game of cat and mouse. They were obviously looking to counteract the spin, looking to sweep, paddle, hit the ball into places where fielders weren't to try and manipulate the field.”

Harmer will have a crucial role to play in the three-pronged spin attack to claim the last five Pakistan wickets before the hosts bat the defending WTC champions out of the game completely. 

It’s a challenge the 36-year-old wholeheartedly accepts.

"It boils down to your skill and making sure you're prepared," Harmer, who picked up the big scalp of local Lahore hero Babar Azam, said.

"You understand that it's going to turn, and you know the opposition that you're coming up against and how they're going to play.

"The prep comes down to how you deal with that opponent. Everybody's different, so it's quite a personal thing. But it's about making sure you're confident in your ability because you know that the pressure is going to be growing.

"I think at the end of the day we need to rock up tomorrow (Monday) because if we can restrict them to less than 380, I think we would have done a hell of a job. I think the toss does play a role and we didn't get the rub of the green, which is fine. But I think it was still a solid day."