De Zorzi’s Grit: South Africa’s Test Hope Against Pakistan
Tony de Zorzi’s innings was a masterclass in resilience, a tightrope walk on the edges of his abilities at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. On a day dominated by tumbling wickets and a turning surface, De Zorzi stood firm, offering South Africa a glimmer of hope against a relentless Pakistan attack.
Pakistan’s collapse saw their last five wickets fall for a mere 16 runs in 56 deliveries. South Africa mirrored this fragility, losing four wickets for 26 runs in 63 balls during the final hour. Despite the chaos, De Zorzi remained unbeaten on 81, having faced 140 balls and batted for nearly three hours. His presence at the crease could prove decisive.
De Zorzi’s innings was not without its moments of drama. Before tea, he was given out lbw to Sajid Khan, only to be reprieved by a review that showed the ball had pitched outside off stump. In the following session, Sajid again appealed for lbw, but umpire Chris Brown correctly ruled the impact outside off. A third appeal followed soon after, this time overturned as De Zorzi had edged the ball onto his pad.
This gritty innings marked De Zorzi’s first half-century in ten Test innings, a welcome change after a string of low scores. Prior to this, his form had been patchy, with two ducks, two scores of two, and a four. Only once had he batted for more than an hour or faced more than 35 balls.
While his first-class form showed promise with scores of 78 not out and 141 for Western Province, his other innings this season yielded just 55 runs. De Zorzi’s batting style is characterized by solid hitting rather than elegant strokeplay, and his innings in Lahore reflected a player determined to preserve his wicket above all else.
On a challenging pitch against Pakistan’s spin bowlers, De Zorzi’s approach was effective. He edged three of his nine fours and flicked two more. His other boundaries came from well-executed pulls, cuts, and sweeps. A slog-swept six off Sajid showcased a rare moment of confidence.
“Yes, I’ve not scored many runs lately,” De Zorzi seemed to announce with that shot. “Yes, I’ve hardly been batting with diamonds on the soles of my shoes in this innings. But I’m still here. And I’m getting better the longer I am.”
His calm demeanor was evident even when beaten by a sharp-turning delivery from Salman Khan. After Mohammad Rizwan dislodged the bails, De Zorzi collected one and handed it back to the wicketkeeper, unfazed.
Senuran Muthusamy, who took 6/117 and partnered with De Zorzi towards the end of the day, emphasized the importance of resilience. “It’s not ideal to have lost those wickets so close to the end of play, but this does happen in Test cricket,” Muthusamy said. “It’s about bouncing back and finding some resilience.”
South Africa ended the day six wickets down and 162 runs behind. But with De Zorzi still at the crease, they have a chance to fight back.
Disclaimer: This news article is based on publicly available information and may be subject to updates.
