Pakistan beat South Africa by 2 wickets in a tense ODI opener.
- South Africa Innings: 263 all out (de Kock 63, Pretorius 57; Naseem Shah 3-40, Abrar Ahmed 3-53)
- Pakistan Innings: 264-8 (Agha 62, Rizwan 55; Bosch 2-32, Ngidi 2-46)
- Key Moment: A 91-run partnership between Rizwan and Agha put Pakistan in a commanding position, requiring just 69 runs from the final 12 overs.
- The Collapse: Pakistan then lost wickets in a cluster, turning a comfortable chase into a nail-biter.
- The Finish: Mohammad Nawaz hit a vital six in the final over to seal the win for Pakistan.
A seemingly straightforward chase turned into a heart-stopping thriller as Pakistan scraped past South Africa by two wickets in the opening ODI.
Set 264 to win on a flat Faisalabad pitch, Pakistan cruised for most of their innings, thanks to half-centuries from Mohammad Rizwan (55) and Salman Agha (62). Needing a comfortable 69 off 72 balls, a dramatic collapse saw them lose five wickets, putting the result in serious doubt. The victory was only secured when Mohammad Nawaz.
After the key 91-run partnership between Salman Agha and Mohammad Rizwan was broken, Hussain Talat and Agha steadied the chase with a pragmatic 45-run stand. Just as Pakistan edged within 30 runs of victory, the game turned again. Talat misjudged a slower ball, and George Linde took a stunning diving catch at mid-off.
Linde then returned to the attack, exploiting the turning ball to clean bowl a charging Hasan Nawaz. The collapse culminated when Agha, just 12 runs from victory, holed out to a brilliant, sprawling catch by Donovan Ferreira, throwing the match into serious jeopardy.
By the end of his first three overs, Agha had leaked 30, and Shaheen was forced to turn to Ayub, and that is where Pakistan began to regain some control. South Africa continued to tick along at a fair clip as Pretorius completed a 48-ball 50, but Pakistan starved him of the strike for the next few overs. Even so, South Africa had got to 98 in the 16th over before Pretorius tried to carve Ayub through the offside, only for Nawaz to complete a sharp catch diving to his weaker right side.
For the moment, though, South Africa were not to be slowed down by one bump. Tony de Zorzi made his intentions clear by creaming Nawaz over the top for a six so huge it flew out of Iqbal Stadium and required a replacement ball. De Kock was milking the spinners and getting a boundary away each over, with one through short fine off Ayub, bringing up his own half-century in his comeback ODI.
Abrar Ahmed came back well in his later spells•Getty Images
The reintroduction of Naseem would serve as the first real break on South Africa’s careening sled. He’d copped 19 in his first three, but coming around the wicket to the two left-handers, he conceded just one in his return over, and when Ayub kept things tight at the other end, Naseem struck in the following over.
It was the free-flowing de Kock who, cramped for room from the angle, chipped onto the stumps as he tried to guide the ball fine. Ayub struck six balls later to extinguish de Zorzi’s innings in its embryonic stages, and the momentum began to shift.
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South Africa lacked batting heft lower down the order. Sinethemba Qeshile’s back-to-back boundaries off Shaheen broke the shackles, while captain Matthew Breetzke walloped Abrar for a six and a four as South Africa attempted a relaunch. But Nawaz induced a top edge from Qeshile off the first ball of the next over, and from thereon Pakistan began to punch their way through a brittle South Africa.
It was the first of five wickets to fall within 37 runs as Pakistan gutted their way through South Africa. Abrar got rid of Breetzke and trapped Fortuin first ball, almost believing he had a hat-trick .
| Aspect | South Africa | Pakistan |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 263 all out | 264 for 8 |
| Result | Lost by 2 wickets | Won by 2 wickets |
| Top Batter | Quinton de Kock (63) | Salman Agha (62) |
| Key All-Rounder | Dwaine Pretorius (57) | Mohammad Rizwan (55) |
| Top Bowler | Corbin Bosch (2-32) | Naseem Shah (3-40) |
| Key Support Bowler | Lungi Ngidi (2-46) | Abrar Ahmed (3-53) |
| Match Status | Competitive after a late batting collapse. | In control, then in jeopardy, before a narrow win. |
| Turning Point | Late collapse inflicted by Naseem & Abrar. | The 91-run Rizwan-Agha partnership, followed by their dismissals that sparked a panic. |
| Key Moment | George Linde’s diving catch & subsequent bowling. | Mohammad Nawaz’s final-over six to secure the win. |
Conclusion
Pakistan secured a dramatic two-wicket victory in the first ODI, but not before a stunning late collapse turned a comfortable chase into a nail-biting finale. After their bowlers, led by Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed, restricted South Africa to a sub-par 263, Pakistan appeared to be cruising towards the target. A solid opening stand and a commanding 91-run partnership between Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha had them firmly in control.
However, the dismissal of Rizwan triggered a dramatic stumble. The middle and lower order struggled against the spin of George Linde and the bowling of Corbin Bosch, losing a cluster of wickets just as victory seemed certain. The game swung back into jeopardy before a final-over six from Mohammad Nawaz ultimately sealed the win, revealing a concerning lack of composure in a chase that should have been far more straightforward.
