FEW years ago when the England batsmen collapsed in a Test match against the Australians, the legendary English opener Geoffrey Boycott, embarrassed as he was, wrote in one of his memorable columns that ‘even my mother could have batted better than that’.

I will, however, avoid any harsh comment here and not lament Pakistan’s disastrous batting display on the second day of the first Test of the series against South Africa. Nor would I hang my head in shame at their humiliating dismissal for their lowest in Tests against Dayle Steyn and company.

Steyn’s six for eight really tells the whole story. It was naturally heart-breaking for a handful of Pakistan supporters and I for a moment felt bad as well. But those who know how our batsmen play would understand that this was not for the first time that Pakistan innings had folded in such disgrace. I have been through many such soul-searching situations when our batsmen utterly let us down.

And with Pakistan blowing hot and cold most of the time, I do expect them to perform the way they did on Saturday. It was a total anti-climax to the first day obviously, when they shot out the formidable South Africa batting outfit with brilliant bowling and fielding in the fading hours of the day.

I was never in doubt about our batsmen’s lack of ability to take up the challenge when it comes to facing a quality attack in a real game of cricket which, of course, a Test match is.

In a limited over game things are different, the team that plays well on the day gets the trophy but not in Test cricket. You have got to be consistent all round to get the desired results.

With the ball moving in and out and lifting awkwardly to the sheer discomfort of the Pakistani batsmen, life for them was not easy at any time as the scorecard would show. Only two men got to double figures and that too with edges and nudges as Steyn, Philander and Kallis pressed on to exploit Pakistan’s inability to play the moving ball to gift catches to the slips and to the keeper.

It was almost twenty years ago in 1993 when a much stronger Pakistan outfit perished for only 43 runs in an ODI against the West Indies at Newlands at Cape Town in the Total International Series to lose the match within three hours. It was Pakistan’s lowest score in an ODI.

Nine years later I was not at Sharjah in 2002-3 when Pakistan were bowled out for their lowest in Test when the Australians dismissed them for 53 in the first innings and 59 in the second.

Memories keep coming back and I do remember vividly when the Indians at Lord’s were bamboozled for just over 40 runs in a Test match against England.

Smith and his men on Saturday could have easily put Pakistan in again because Misbah’s men still required five runs to avoid the follow on. Instead they took the second option to bat again and put the tourists even in a greater plight and pressure when they bat for the second time.

All the fun and hard work on the first day by the Pakistanis has now been reversed and in the remaining days of this Test only the South Africans have the choice to carry themselves to a position from where they would call the shots.

Barring rain, a miracle or a natural disaster, this match is ominously in Smith’s clutches. For him, in his hundredth Test as a captain, it would be a just reward.