In the aftermath of the second One Day International (ODI) in Port Elizabeth, a visibly dejected South African captain AB de Villiers said: “Close but not across the line. A couple of runs there would have stopped you from asking a lot of good questions. Just not good enough, we lost the series and I am disappointed. The most disappointing thing was that we had the game in the pocket.” South Africa had lost a bilateral series for the first time against Pakistan, and to make matters worse, it happened at home. The difference between glory and shame was just one run.

The Pakistani media, public and the team rightfully celebrated the series win with much exuberance. The TV shows that followed that game were all praise for the all round performance that Misbah-ul-Haq's men had put in. The sparkling touch of Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal, the solidity provided by Sohaib Maqsood, Shahid Afridi's golden arm, the wizardry of Saeed Ajmal and Junaid Khan's nerves of steel; there was applause all around. Pakistani fans flooded the social media with pictures, videos, tweets and status updates; it was a testament to what cricket means to the country and how it can still bring the nation under one umbrella. Perhaps one of the few canopies left that shelters absolute harmony in a divided society.

"I was telling to everybody to take it to the last over," Misbah said. "I know that for the batting side, no matter how many wickets you have, how good a situation you are in, the last over always brings a bit of pressure. That is what we were thinking. Everyone really stuck in.” Misbah was the first one to go down in the symbolic prostration (Sajda) on the field of victory. Normally a cool customer who seldom expresses emotion, Misbah was in tears, and that said a thousand words.

“The team wanted this victory and the way, even of the last ball, the way they were fighting, that was the key for us in this game.” Misbah added.

Dale Steyn, Jaques Kallis and Graeme Smith sat out the third and final ODI and Pakistan’s chances seemed extremely good, especially with the momentum on their side. With the series already in the bag, they were expected to go for the kill and had finally seemed to have found a winning combination. However, in an unexpected decision, Pakistan made four changes. It was a statement; the last match was being used to test their bench strength.

This current team management continued with a puzzling rotation policy. One can understand the intention behind this strategy but it meant an immediate drop in intensity levels and more importantly prevented a successful team combination from settling into a groove of consistency. For the world's most inconsistent team, the last thing you want to tinker with too much is a settled combination. Like Misbah said after the first match, the team had tasted victory and should now make it a habit.

Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting's Australian sides were successful largely because they stuck to the same core group of players. Michael Clarke, who has perhaps seen the worst of times, however, was not afforded the same continuity. He let his feelings be known to the Australian selectors in a thinly veiled suggestion: "If you're playing well and winning consistently, it builds momentum, that's for sure."

Pakistan had the opportunity to become the first team to whitewash South Africa in their backyard. The disappointment was not that they were unable to create history by achieving what no other team had ever before, the despair stemmed from the fact that Pakistan had not fielded their first choice XI at the Super Sport Park. They had robbed themselves of giving their best shot at unprecedented glory. Why rob a team like Pakistan of any semblance of rhythm?

The long list of South Asian captains who made an attempt to win an ODI series in South Africa include Mohammad Azharuddin, Wasim Akram, Saleem Malik, Arjuna Ranatunga, Sachin Tendulkar, Aamir Sohail, Sanath Jayasurya, Saurav Ganguly, Khaled Mashud, Waqar Younis, Rahul Dravid, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohd Ashraful, MS Dhoni and Tillakaratne Dilshan. Not one of them could triumph in the alienating conditions of South Africa.

Even though Misbah could not achieve a clean sweep, he succeeded where many celebrated cricketers had failed, becoming the first man from the continent to lead his team to an ODI series victory in South Africa.

In Shoaib Akhtar’s words, “Knowing that this series was going to be a difficult one, it’s the way the Pakistani team came back, how they showed guts, displayed bravery and fought with honesty. The best thing about this series was how the Pakistani team fought; it made you happy and it made me happy. It's a well-deserved win. South Africa did not lose this but Pakistan won it.” Pakistan went from zero to hero in two overs at Port Elizabeth.

The Pakistani jubilation across the board after a thrilling nail biting win was an extremely encouraging sign. But it also reconfirmed that nothing succeeds like success. A team that is returning home as victors could have very easily come back as a deflated bunch. The fate of the entire series was decided by just one run. In the longer run, that margin will not matter. But the first ODI series win by an Asian team in South Africa will eternally add to the decorated past of Pakistan cricket.