Ajmal made to work hard, Younis catches the most

Stats highlights from the third day's play at Dubai

Shiva Jayaraman

25-Oct-2013

Saeed Ajmal in his delivery stride, Pakistan v South Africa, 2nd Test, 1st day, Dubai, October 23, 2013

Younis Khan's catch to dismiss Morne Morkel was his 95th in Tests - the highest by a Pakistan fielder in Tests . His catch to dismiss Graeme Smith earlier in the innings had equalled the record held by Javed Miandad, who took 94 catches in his Test-career. Click here for a list of fielders with most catches in Tests.

This was Saeed Ajmal's ninth five-wicket haul of his Test-career and his second against South Africa, but he was made to work for it. Ajmal bowled 55.5 overs in this innings, the most he has bowled in an innings in Tests.

The 418-run lead that Pakistan conceded in the first innings was their second-highest ever in Tests while batting first. The 462-run lead conceded by them against West Indies in the famous Test in Jamaica in 1958 - in which Garry Sobers hit a then record-365 - is the highest they have ever conceded in the first innings while batting first. The 1958 series against West Indies also produced the highest first-innings lead conceded by Pakistan, overall, in Tests - they ended up trailing West Indies by 473 runs in Bridgetown in the first innings.

Khurram Manzoor's pair in this Test was the seventh by a Pakistan opener in Tests. The last time a Pakistan opener got a pair in a Test was Taufeeq Umar against Australia in Sharjah in 2002.

The match against Australia in 2002 in Sharjah was also the previous occasion of Pakistan losing their first wicket without adding a run on the board in both the innings of a Test, before today. Including this match, there have been five such instances for Pakistan in Tests.

Pakistan's second innings was the eighth instance of both their openers getting out for a duck in an innings in Tests. This was the second such instance in 2013 - the previous instance also came against South Africa, earlier this year in Cape Town.

Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers ended their partnership on 338 runs - this is the highest fifth-wicket partnership against Pakistan in Tests. They beat the 327-run partnership put on by Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting in Perth in 1999.

Graeme Smith AB de Villiers Younis Khan Khurram Manzoor Saeed Ajmal South Africa Pakistan Pakistan vs South Africa

Shiva Jayaraman is a sub-editor (stats) at ESPNcricinfo