Debutant Asif Afridi breaks 92-year-old Test record for Pakistan with a maiden fifer in Rawalpindi

Pakistan debutant Asif Afridi achieved the all-time Test record of being the oldest debutant to take a five-wicket haul as he broke the 92-year-old record on the third day of the ongoing second Test against South Africa in Rawalpindi on Wednesday, October 22. Afridi played a key role in Pakistan reducing South Africa to 235/8 in the morning session of the third day, before Senuran Muthusamy led a counter-punch, getting the visitors into the lead.

Afridi at 38 years and 301 days is now the oldest Test debutant to register a five-wicket haul. The left-arm spinner broke former England wristy Charles Marriott's record, who took a five-wicket haul on his Test debut against the West Indies at the Oval in 1933, aged 37 years and 332 days. Marriott took fifers in both the innings and played a crucial role in England's innings victory in that game.

After early strikes from Shaheen Afridi and Sajid Khan, it was all Afridi for Pakistan as he got the ball to turn and varied his pace to deceive the batters with the ones that didn't turn and the others which turned big. Afridi because of his trajectory largely held the stump-to-stump line and got the success, trapping three batters LBW, while getting a couple of them caught behind.

A couple of days ago, Afridi had become the third oldest Test debutant for Pakistan at 38 years and 299 days when Pakistan handed the veteran his cap, replacing Hasan Ali in the line-up.

Noman Ali chipped in with a couple of wickets while Sajid Khan and Shaheen Afridi scalped one each as Pakistan had South Africa in a spin for a while until they didn't as Muthusamy and Keshav Maharaj, the two left-arm spinners stitched a 71-run partnership for the ninth wicket before Kagiso Rabada added some quick runs to knock off the deficit. The Proteas now had a real chance to dictate terms as they were able to frustrate the Pakistan team, making them field for over 100 overs.