It's on us to find ways to be better, says Proteas captain after 10-match winning streak ended

It is a long way back for the world Test champion Proteas from here. The size of their defeat to Pakistan in the first Test at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, by 93 runs, does not tell the full story. 

For all their gumption of staying in the fight for as long as they did, there were only three individual batters - opener Ryan Rickelton twice - that passed 20 runs in both innings. 

The rest showed neither technique nor pluck and determination to see it through against the high-quality spin offered by Noman Ali and his excitable sidekick Sajid Khan, who claimed 15 of the 20 Proteas wickets to fall over the course of the three and half days. 

Worryingly, they may also have allowed a resurgent Shaheen Shah Afridi to bowl himself back into form with four cheap second innings wickets, which will provide an altogether different challenge in Rawalpindi next week.

So, how exactly will the tourists look to bounce back after having their 10-match unbeaten run brought to a screeching halt?

“It's one thing, us as a team, we pride ourselves on never throwing in the towel, never giving up,” said stand-in captain Aiden Markram. 

“Believing that the really difficult things are still possible and although we weren't on the right side of it, we showed some good fight and resilience. 

“So, it's always a nice box to tick post every game. If you can tick that box, I feel like it's still good for the changing room and the boys in the changing room.

“It felt like there were moments where we got on top and then there was a bit of a momentum, and it could have been a different result. It's on us now as a group to go back and find ways to be better and to give ourselves a chance to win.”

The Proteas haven’t quite formulated a batting blueprint on these turning pitches. Of those who were able to attain some success like Rickelton and Tony de Zorzi, the duo looked to absorb pressure and accumulate, which was in contrast to Dewald Brevis’ aggressive counter-attacking style that earned him a run-a-ball half-century. 

Markram feels there is no inexpugnable gameplan and that batters each have their own methods to get the job done. 

“It's very much on the individual I feel,” he said. “A guy like Brevis always takes the game on. That's what he's known for and that's when he's at his best. It was actually great to see him bring out that side today (Wednesday).

“A guy like Rickleton and other batters in the group might back their defence a lot more and feed off the scraps that come around that. 

“Two different ways of approaching it. But two ways, I still think you can be successful in these conditions. It's about committing to one way and living by that.”

There was at least some light at the end of the tunnel for the Proteas with Keshav Maharaj sitting in the players’ enclosure after joining up with the team overnight.

While Senuran Muthusamy did a more than admiral job in the left-arm spin department with match-figures of 11/174, the Proteas missed the control, especially in Pakistan’s first innings, and resultant pressure which Maharaj creates through his consistency. 

“We thought we had good plans, but they played the sweep shots and stuff like that really well and made it quite tough to set field work and limit scoring,” Markram said. 

“So through that, I suppose, you leak a couple of runs or a couple too many runs per over. Instead of maybe going in twos and threes, they might be going in fours and that does eventually add up at the end of the game.

“But Kesh is back now. The idea is obviously to get him to play the second Test. That's why he's here. 

“I'm not sure what the medical staff have planned for him, but we keep our fingers crossed he'll be good to go.”

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN v SOUTH AFRICA

First Test, Day 4,

Pakistan: 378 & 167 (Babar 42, Muthusamy 5/57, Harmer 4/51)

South Africa: 269 & 183 (Brevis 54, Rickleton 45, Shaheen 4/33, Noman Ali 4/79)

Pakistan won by 93 runs, lead series 1-0