Proteas spin revival: Harmer, Maharaj and Muthusamy turn the tide in Pakistan

Down the years, it has been possible to lament the death of South African spin bowling. It was probably around the time top-order batter Justin Ontong was selected as a “specialist spinner” on the tour to India back in 2004.

Fast bowlers have always been the Proteas’ preferred weapon — even on the subcontinent. But that all changed over the past fortnight, starting with the selection of three specialist spinners in both Tests, and ending with the Proteas celebrating their first Test victory in Pakistan in 18 years in Rawalpindi on Thursday.

Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer bowled the Proteas to an astonishing eight-wicket win in the second Test. Maharaj (9/136) and Harmer (8/135) claimed 17 wickets between them, with the latter finishing with a career-best 6/50 in Pakistan’s second innings — a performance that also brought up his 1000th first-class wicket.

These figures alone are outstanding, but they do not fully reveal the extent of the South African spinners’ influence, especially when adding Player of the Series Senuran Muthusamy and Prenelan Subrayen’s contributions. They outbowled their Pakistani counterparts — the supposed masters of such conditions — claiming 35 of the 40 wickets to fall during the series. They were smarter, quicker through the air, and extracted more spin, especially in Rawalpindi.

“I think if you look at the two Test matches, it was always somebody different putting their hand up. Sen in the first Test bowled like an absolute genius. Then Kesh coming back into this game, bowled incredibly well in the first innings with very good control, and then reaped his rewards and cashed in — and then myself in the second innings,” Harmer said. “So I think hats off to (Proteas coach) Shukri (Conrad) and the selection panel for backing a sort of three-spin prong attack.”

The quartet are all highly experienced — maybe not at Test level, but certainly domestically. Harmer, in particular, has been honing his craft for the past eight years in the English County Championship, where he bowls over after over for Essex on contrasting surfaces.

Armed with that experience, he was able to work out a game plan to succeed in Pakistan.

“My time in England has helped me with that — bowling on flat wickets where there's not a lot happening. It's about how you construct your overs, what you're looking to do, and what shots you want the batters to play,” Harmer explained.

“Through the series, the most dangerous ball has been a pace-off delivery, between 78 and 82 kph. On this wicket, the quicker pace was the one that got batters to commit on the front foot, and then you could use your slower ball to get them into trouble.

“I felt against the Pakistan batters, you needed to take away their boundary options. They're very good at using their feet — something that we spoke about. Even when the ball's turning away from the bat, they're not scared to step out and get to the pitch of the ball. I think non-subcontinent players tend to sweep first rather than use their feet, especially against a ball turning away.”

Harmer produced the game-changing moment when he trapped Pakistan’s premier batter, Babar Azam, shortly after he raised his bat for his first half-century at home since 2022 — in the first over of the fourth morning. It was a dismissal born out of careful homework.

“I played against Babar when he was with Somerset in the UK and bowled around the wicket to him. I felt like it took away his sweep option and made him less comfortable,” Harmer said.

“I just felt that the ball from that end specifically was spinning from straight. And if I came around the wicket, if they did want to look to score square, it kept the stumps in play — whereas from over the wicket, they could get outside the line.”