A thriller in two parts

Who said a two-Test series was unsatisfying? Pakistan and South Africa produced a thrilling contest of dramatic intensity where fortunes swung from day to day, session to session. The outcome was a reversal of fortunes: South Africa have a formidable record in Asia, while Pakistan's home form has been inexplicably miserable recently. Nonetheless, Pakistan came away from the series with solutions to key selection problems, while South Africa left with more questions than answers. Here's how the teams and players fared:

Pakistan
Major league cricket returned to Pakistan without security alarms. Delivered in tandem with a first-ever series win over South Africa, this will be one of the most notable series in Pakistan's history. It also ended an embarrassing run of home failures (apologies to Bangladesh) that helped Pakistan plummet in the international rankings. With an inexperienced team Pakistan showed more resolve and application than expected. The batsmen unexpectedly matched South Africa's, and the bowlers were more threatening on wickets made for batting. In the end, Shoaib Akhtar and Danish Kaneria were the difference between the teams, with Shoaib's brutal intervention in each innings at Lahore sealing the fate of the series.

More broadly, Pakistan achieved success by turning weaknesses into strengths. A dismal run of opening partnerships ended with three successive century stands. Shoddy fielding became first rate, Moin Khan's fumbles aside. And Pakistan's traditional last-day surrender of arms was replaced by a cool and calculated run-chase (yes they were going for it - that's official) and stubborn defiance once the advantage was lost.

Pakistan's search for an opening pair is over, they have options for middle-order batsmen beyond Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana, and a new, threatening bowling attack has emerged surprisingly quickly after the demise of Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram. Most importantly, Pakistan teams of the last decade have been spineless. In this series old, new, and recycled players showed the discipline and determination that makes a limited team successful, and a talented team exceptional. All credit to the captain(s) and the coach. Can Pakistan beat anyone, as Javed Miandad claims? They surely can on their day, but it is how often those days come along that really matters.

Pakistan pros and cons
Taufeeq Umar: Brilliant in each innings, forming the sober half of Pakistan's record-breaking opening partnership. Taufeeq is unusually disciplined and patient for a Pakistani batsman. He also plays his shots, especially flourishing ones through the covers. Only Australia have troubled him so far.

Imran Farhat: A cross between Ijaz Ahmed and Saeed Anwar, Imran is Taufeeq's less-sober partner. Exciting strokeplay combined with the feeling that he is one ball away from madness makes an Imran innings compulsive viewing. Hard to understand why he took so long to return to the national team.

Danish Kaneria: He had a reputation for feasting on minnows, but Danish showed that he can swim with the sharks as well. As a rule South Africa were all at sea playing him, even at Faisalabad where the ball spun less on each day. He was a constant threat, and also economical. But as one fish flies another sinks to the deep ...

Mushtaq Ahmed: Lost the mantle as Pakistan's No. 1 legspinner. Completely outbowled by Danish, Mushy cut a sorry figure patrolling the gully region or the outfield. His captains were reluctant to turn to him, even in desperation. Mushtaq's spin was just too slow and his four-ball just too frequent to threaten South Africa. Only a miracle will resurrect his international career after this.

Shoaib Akhtar: Some said he didn't have the commitment. Some said he didn't have the talent. But Shoaib (briefly with vice-captaincy responsibilities) confirmed that he is Pakistan's best fast bowler since Wasim and Waqar, and now probably the most destructive on the planet. It takes a special talent to turn the course of a match in the space of three or four overs - and Shoaib did it twice at Lahore against some of the best batsmen in world cricket.

South Africa
Where did South Africa lose it? Their record in Asia had been second to none, and that includes Australia and the other Asian teams. They were at full strength, with established stars experienced in Asia combining with their brightest hopes for the future. In six years their opponents had only managed to beat Bangladesh at home. The one-day series was a short, sharp acclimatisation, although the weight of evidence is that a too-rapid climb can leave you breathless - perhaps that's what happened to South Africa?

This is a remoulded team, and Eric Simons and Graeme Smith have put a positive spin on the result, but South Africa have serious problems. Yes, their batsmen struggled against Pakistan's combination of high pace and varied spin - this was good bowling as much as anything. Yet Smith's dilemma was that he had no comeback: he did not have an express bowler capable of reverse swing, or a spin bowler capable of mystery, even control. This is not a recipe for success in Asia, and neither is it a formula for world domination.

Nor will Smith be entirely happy with his batsmen. He won the toss in each match on batting tracks, and both times conceded a first-innings lead. Resilience came from predictable quarters - Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis - but South Africa's newer players were unable to make a decisive contribution.

Finally, winning in Asia begins with the right attitude, one of curiosity about a different culture rather than suspicion of it. Suspicion leads to a siege mentality, which has been the downfall of many visiting teams. South Africa may well argue that this was not the case with them, but their doubts about security, verbal aggression in the one-day series, and petty complaint about Shoaib Akhtar's swearing were all symptoms of a troubled, paranoid mind. It takes more maturity and wisdom from the captain and team management to triumph in Asia.

South Africa pros and cons
Gary Kirsten: 35 years young, broken bones smiled away ... Kirsten never flinched, particularly in the second innings at Lahore when Mohammad Sami welcomed him back from hospital with a barrage of express bouncers. At Faisalabad Kirsten would have squared the series had his colleagues matched his grit. The bravest cricketer in world cricket? Probably.

Shaun Pollock: Medium-pace, no reverse swing to speak of ... you would expect Pollock to be a buffet bowler in Asia. Not a hint of it. Pollock was miserly and always a threat, reminding us what can be achieved with impeccable control of line and length, particularly with the new ball. His third-morning burst at Faisalabad hauled South Africa back into the match - but also underlined how much he carried the bowling attack.

Paul Adams: He produced perhaps the most misleading figures in the history of Test cricket. Seven wickets in the first innings at Lahore suggests a valiant effort in the face of a batting onslaught. Partly true, but the onslaught was at its height against Adams's regular serving of full-tosses and long-hops. South Africa needed a mystery bowler on this tour, but the only mystery about Adams was how he managed to earn himself a half-decent reputation.

Neil McKenzie: He kept Jacques Rudolph out of the middle order, but on this evidence the question is why? Rudolph's calm, clean strokeplay, often under pressure, helped South Africa win the one-day series. McKenzie, meanwhile, looked mostly bewildered by Pakistan's spin bowlers - if he managed to survive the fast men. Some batsmen look like they will never get out: McKenzie looked like a wicket waiting to happen. Boeta Dippenaar wasn't much better.

Graeme Smith: Great captaincy, poor leadership. There used to be a clear racial demarcation between teams touring the Asian countries: white teams whinged, the rest didn't. To their credit, Australia and England have done most to banish that stereotype. But the inventors of the Rainbow Nation probably didn't imagine that their team would ever be perceived as whingers. Just as Nasser Hussain and Steve Waugh have done in the past, Graeme Smith must take the lead now to stamp it out.

Kamran Abbasi is a cricket writer and deputy editor of the British Medical Journal.