It took 26 matches to reach however South Africa’s one-wicket victory in opposition to Pakistan on the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Friday offered a nail-biting match to the World Cup.
Fortunes swung wildly between the 2 sides however Keshav Maharaj held his nerve to assist the Proteas to their fifth win in six matches.
Chasing 271, Aiden Markram put the crew within the driver’s seat with an excellent 91. Nonetheless, the chase went haywire with Shaheen Afridi giving essential breakthroughs to scale back South Africa to 250 for eight.
HIGHLIGHTS | Pakistan vs South Africa ODI World Cup
Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi and Tabraiz Shamsi then chopped off 21 runs whereas surviving a hostile spell from the three Pakistan pacers. As soon as the quicks had bowled out, Maharaj whipped left-arm spinner Mohammed Nawaz to the fine-leg fence to assist the Rainbow nation cross the road.
South Africa acquired off the blocks in fashion when Quinton de Kock took 4 boundaries off Afridi within the second over earlier than Markram took cost with gorgeous pictures, the spotlight being an upper-cut for six off Haris Rauf.
When Markram and David Miller added 70 runs for the fifth wicket, South Africa was cruising to victory earlier than Afridi had Miller caught behind.
Later, leg-spinner Usama Mir – who got here on as a concussion substitute for Shadab Khan after the latter harm himself whereas fielding – eliminated Markram, tilting the sport in Pakistan’s favour. However ultimately, the previous champion couldn’t shut out the sport and slumped to its fourth straight lack of the match.
CHECK | ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Factors Desk
Within the first innings, Babar Azam (50) and Saud Shakeel (52) led the way in which with half-centuries, with Shadab Khan and Mohammad Rizwan chipping in with cameos after Pakistan elected to bat first. Nonetheless, not one of the batters transformed their begins, and the aspect ended the innings at 270.
At 141 for 5, Pakistan appeared in bother earlier than Shadab and Shakeel got here up with counter-attacking knocks. Shakeel used the sweep successfully to seek out the fence in opposition to the spinners whereas Shadab pulled Maharaj for a 4 and a six earlier than lofting Shamsi down the bottom.
The duo’s 84-run stand, off 71 balls, set the stage for Pakistan to tee off within the final ten overs. However Coetzee struck within the fortieth over to take away Shadab earlier than Shamsi had Shakeel caught behind. South African bowlers bowled out Pakistan within the forty seventh over, and the 20 balls Babar’s males did not play proved pricey ultimately and will doubtlessly carry their World Cup marketing campaign to a untimely finish.