Pakistan’s Struggle with Last Five Wickets in Tests 2025
South Africa secured a commanding 8-wicket victory against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, drawing the two-match Test series 1-1 and ending the home sides clean sweep hopes.
The visitors displayed complete dominance, with an extraordinary lower-order contribution that carried them to an impressive total of 404 runs in their first innings.
A remarkable 98-run last-wicket partnership proved to be the turning point, completely shifting the match momentum in South Africas favour during the second Test.
Pakistan once again struggled with the bat under sustained pressure, managing only 138 runs in their second innings despite a determined fifty from Babar Azam.
The homse side suffered yet another lower-order collapse, losing their final five wickets for only 33 runs and continuing their worrying trend in 2025.
These recurring batting failures have drawn sharp criticism from analysts who highlight consistent technical flaws and mental lapses during crucial phases of matches.
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The inability to handle pressure in crucial moments has exposed significant technical weaknesses and mental lapses during challenging situations across several matches.
Against South Africa and the West Indies, Pakistan lost their final five wickets for minimal runs in multiple innings, wasting promising starts consistently.
Such repeated breakdowns have cost Pakistan several competitive positions while exposing deeper flaws in overall team balance, preparation, and tactical decision-making processes.
Last Five-Wicket Collapses in Tests (2025)
| Opponent | Runs Lost (Last 5 Wickets) |
|---|---|
| South Africa | 33-5 |
| South Africa | 17-5 |
| South Africa | 17-5 |
| South Africa | 16-5 |
| South Africa | 61-5 |
| South Africa | 39-5 |
| West Indies | 57-5 |
| West Indies | 24-5 |
| West Indies | 25-5 |
| West Indies | 33-5 |
