CHENNAI -UNS: An incredible knock from Aiden Markaram guided South Africa to cruise past Pakistan by one wicket at Chennai stadium on Friday, dimming Team Green’s hopes for qualification to the semi-final of the World Cup 2023.
Pakistan started bowling with aggression by taking key early wickets as Shaheen Shah Afridi ended an early flurry from Quinton de Kock (24) before Mohammad Wasim removed Temba Bavuma for 28.
And a strong partnership came to an end when concussion substitute Usama Mir dismissed Rassie van der Dussen out lbw for 21 to give Pakistan a chance.
At this point, Markram held the reins and lit up the Chidambaram Stadium with fiery boundaries. He made 91 runs to put her side in command. Things came in Pakistan’s control when Markram was sent to pavilion, leading to quick wickets of tail order. However, the Proteas held the nerves in death overs and sealed win over Pakistan in 48th over.
Earlier, a disciplined bowling and fielding from South Africa restricted Pakistan from posting a tough total as the Team Green was bowled out for 270 in the crucial match.
Tabraiz Shamsi’s four-fer and three-wicket haul by Marco Jansen and two wickets by Gerald Coetzee devastated the batting line of the Babar Azam’s side.
Pakistan were in an unusually aggressive mood early on against Protest. However, Marco Jansen served early blows to Pakistan by dismissing Abdullah Shafique and Imamul Haq – the opening pair.
After unimpressive start by the openers, Babar Azam and Rizwan tried to showed disciplined batting against stunning bowling by opponents. Their partnership fell apart after Rizwan was sent to pavilion for 31 by Gerald Coetzee.
Later, Australian bowlers Tabraiz Shamsi struck twice to leave Pakistan tottering at 141/5 as he removed Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed.
The loss of the key wickets put South Africa ahead, but some lusty blows from Saud Shakeel and Shadab Khan helped Pakistan fight back.
They smashed 43 and 52, respectively, to boost the total before their dismissal.
Mohammad Nawaz from tail order showed his batting skills as he smashed two sixes and one four in his 24-run knock. He moved onto the front foot and drove shakily to Jansen’s delivery, and was caught by Miller on the off side.
In what is being dubbed as a do-or-die match, Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first in the ICC World Cup 2023 encounter against the free-scoring South Africa.
Pre-match Coverage
If Pakistan envisage reaching the semi-finals at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup then they simply must find their best form and defeat a surging South Africa in Chennai.
Pakistan have shown glimpses of their best so far with two wins from five matches, but have yet to have all aspects of their game peaking at once.
They will need to be firing on all cylinders against a powerful South Africa outfit who have been one of the most impressive teams in India with four wins and just one blemish to their name thus far.
That loss was a shock defeat at the hands of the Netherlands and it is no coincidence that was the only time that the Proteas’ strong batting order didn’t click.
With Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen and David Miller all in good touch, opposition bowlers have struggled to contain South Africa’s batters and this is what Pakistan’s bevy of quicks will need to do in Chennai.
Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf will be key factors with the ball for Pakistan and the pair must claim early wickets while the ball is swinging or yet another high-scoring encounter will be likely.
PLAYING XI & TOSS
Pakistan win the toss and elect to bat first
Two changes to our team #PAKvSA | #DattKePakistani | #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/mcTiTTzVau
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 27, 2023
With four group games to play, Pakistan can still make the semifinals, but there is little margin for error. However, as well as victory on Friday, they also need to improve their -0.40 net run-rate which could prove to be the tie-breaker in the race for semifinal spots.
“If you have belief, miracles happen,” said Shadab, the deputy to skipper Babar Azam. “We have not played like we were playing before the World Cup but from tomorrow we have to start a winning streak,” he said
While the Pakistan captain has contributed 157 runs at a decent average of 31.40 through five games at the tournament, the expectations are so high on the No.1 ranked ODI batter in the world that he would like to be scoring even more freely.
The time is now for Babar, who must rise to the occasion and help keep his side in the hunt for a semi-final berth with a big score against South Africa’s well-balanced bowling line-up.
On the other hand, there is not many batters at the World Cup in better form than Quinton de Kock and there is no reason to suggest he won’t go big again against Pakistan.
De Kock has three centuries to his name and a tournament best 407 runs at an average of 81.40 through five matches and is the most important cog in an explosive South Africa top six.
Squads
Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.
South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams.
