CHENNAI: South African batters managed to hold onto their nerves as they edged spirited Pakistan by one wicket in the 26th match of the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023.

After opting to bat, Pakistan slipped to 38-2 in the seventh over, with both opening batters back in the dugout.

Skipper Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan then raised a 48-run stand for the third wicket before the latter knicked Gerald Coetzee to Quinton De Kock. Rizwan’s 27-ball 31 featured four boundaries and one six.

Iftikhar Ahmed, who was promoted to bat at number five, then helped knit a 41-run partnership with Babar Azam. However, Tabraiz Shamsi removed both batters in back-to-back overs to reduce Pakistan to 141-5. Babar Azam scored a 65-ball 50, while Iftikhar Ahmed contributed 21 runs from 31 balls.

Saud Shakeel and Shadab Khan then stabilized Pakistan’s innings with a counterattacking partnership of 84 runs from 71 balls. Coetzee returned to the attack to break the stand, as Shadab Khan spooned a bumper to the safe hands of Keshav Maharaj at short midwicket. Khan scored 43 off 36 with the help of three boundaries and two sixes. Saud Shakeel completed his third ODI half-century before getting caught behind by Shamsi at a total of 240-7. His run-a-ball 52 featured seven boundaries.

Mohammad Nawaz then scored an anchoring 24 to help drag Pakistan’s total to 268, before a leading edge off Marco Jansen flew high and was caught by David Miller. Subsequently, Lungi Ngidi picked his solitary wicket to wrap Pakistan’s innings at 270. 0Tabraiz Shamsi topped the bowling charts for South Africa with his four-fer, while Marco Jansen achieved figures of 3-43.

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 28 2023

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