Pakistan’s Lowest Score in Test Cricket
The complete record of Pakistan’s lowest Test totals — the infamous 49 all out at Johannesburg, the full list of sub-100 scores, and the stories behind them.
Last updated: 11 October 2026
Quick answer: Pakistan’s lowest score in Test cricket is 49 all out, against South Africa at the Wanderers, Johannesburg, on 2 February 2013. Dale Steyn took 6 for 8 as Pakistan collapsed in 29.1 overs; Azhar Ali top-scored with 13. The previous record was 53, against Australia at Sharjah in 2002.
At a glance
The Low Points in Numbers
Pakistan have been bowled out below 100 in Tests on more than a dozen occasions — here are the headline figures.
Lowest total — vs SA, Johannesburg 2013
Dale Steyn’s figures that day
Previous low — vs Australia, Sharjah 2002
Top score in the 49 — Azhar Ali
2 February 2013 · Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
The Record: 49 All Out
Day two of the first Test of Pakistan’s 2013 tour of South Africa — and 29.1 overs of carnage that entered the record books.
29.1 overs of chaos
Resuming in reply to South Africa’s first innings, Pakistan were destroyed by the new ball on a pitch with steep, variable bounce. Dale Steyn took 6 for 8 in 8.1 overs — one of the great fast-bowling spells — with Vernon Philander (2/16) and Jacques Kallis (2/11) in support. Only Azhar Ali (13) and captain Misbah-ul-Haq reached double figures.
A 211-run defeat
South Africa led by 204 on the first innings but declined the follow-on; Pakistan were set an impossible target and lost by 211 runs. The 49 beat Pakistan’s previous lowest — 53 against Australia at Sharjah in 2002–03, when they had also been dismissed for 59 in the same series.
It was the third time in two seasons South Africa had bowled a side out for under 50 — Australia (47 at Cape Town, 2011) and New Zealand (45 at Cape Town, 2013) had suffered the same fate. For Pakistan, the Johannesburg 49 remains the lowest total in the country’s Test history.
The full roll of dishonor
Pakistan’s Lowest Test Totals
Every Pakistan all-out total under 100 in Test cricket, from the record books.
| Total | Opposition | Venue | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | South Africa | Wanderers, Johannesburg | 2012–13 |
| 53 | Australia | Sharjah | 2002–03 |
| 59 | Australia | Sharjah | 2002–03 |
| 62 | Australia | WACA, Perth | 1981–82 |
| 72 | Australia | WACA, Perth | 2004–05 |
| 72 | England | Edgbaston, Birmingham | 2010 |
| 74 | England | Lord’s, London | 2010 |
| 77 | West Indies | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | 1986–87 |
| 80 | England | Trent Bridge, Nottingham | 2010 |
| 81 | West Indies | Kensington Oval, Bridgetown | 2016–17 |
| 89 | Australia | Perth | 2023–24 |
| 90 | England | Old Trafford, Manchester | 1954 |
| 90 | Sri Lanka | P Sara Oval, Colombo | 2009 |
| 99 | England | Dubai | 2011–12 |
| 99 | South Africa | Dubai | 2013–14 |
Patterns: Australia account for four of the fifteen, England five. The 2010 tour of England — played amid the spot-fixing scandal — produced three sub-100 totals in a single summer. Pakistan’s lowest ODI total, for comparison, is 43 against the West Indies at Cape Town in 1993.
Perspective
How It Compares: Lowest Totals in Test History
Pakistan’s 49 is painful — but the all-time record book shows far worse days for other teams.
New Zealand vs England, Auckland 1955 — the all-time low
South Africa vs England, Port Elizabeth 1896 & Birmingham 1924
Australia vs England, Birmingham 1902; India vs Australia, Adelaide 2020
Pakistan’s 49 sits well above the all-time lows — and the team has also inflicted heavy defeats in return, including bowling England out for 72 at Abu Dhabi in 2012 during the famous 3–0 whitewash.
Questions, answered
Frequently Asked Questions
What fans actually ask about Pakistan’s lowest scores.
What is Pakistan’s lowest score in Test cricket?
What is Pakistan’s lowest total in ODI cricket?
Who took the most wickets in Pakistan’s 49 all out?
What was Pakistan’s lowest Test score before 2013?
What is the lowest team total in Test history?
Has Pakistan ever been bowled out under 100 at home?
Explore the records in depth
The story of the 49 all out, and the complete list of Pakistan’s lowest Test totals with full context.
All scores are taken from official scorecards and the recognised statistical record (CricketArchive/ESPNcricinfo). Figures last checked on 11 October 2026.