A solid hundred from Saim Ayub and an all-round performance from Salman Agha guided Pakistan to a three-wicket win in the first ODI against South Africa in Paarl on Tuesday (December 17).
South Africa got off to a flying start and completed 70 runs in the powerplay with the loss of one wicket. Heinrich Klassen scored 86 runs, and the other three batters crossed the 30 mark. Salman Ali Akha took the first four wickets for Pakistan and stopped the run flow.
Klaasen and Markram helped the home team recover with a strong partnership. Klaasen got involved with boundaries and hit Ayub for his first six, which was the only maximum in the South African innings. While Makaram rotated the strike and secured his end until Makaram was dismissed by Ayub.
Mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed bowled an economical spell, conceding only 32 runs in his 10-over quota and claiming two wickets. Left-arm arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi also appeared to be in good form. He took out the important wicket of Heinrich Klaasen, who was causing trouble for Pakistan at the later stage of an innings. Kagiso Rabada and Ottneil Baartman made valuable contributions with the bat to help South Africa reach a challenging total, but it wasn’t enough in the end.
While chasing a decent total of 240 runs, Marco Jansen draws the first blood for the hosts as he dismissed Abdullah Shafique for a duck with a perfect inswinger through his gates. Pakistan was then restricted by the South African bowlers, with Jansen leading the charge, as his first five overs gave away just 17 runs. Pakistan hit just five boundaries in the powerplay, with three of them coming from Babar’s bat, showcasing his classic style and perfect balance.
Pakistan only managed to score 32 runs with a loss of one wicket in the first powerplay, with a lot of dot balls being played South Africa took complete control after they dismissed Babar Azam and skipper Mohammad Rizwan in quick intervals.
Ayub, who had been playing cautiously, eventually started hitting boundaries as he reached fifty off 72 balls. Salman Ali Agha and Ayub put up a 141-run stand, Agha also completed his 50 in 61 balls. After the dismissals of Ayub and Irfan, Agha took charge of Pakistan’s innings and ensured he would guide them across the finish line.
Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town will host the second ODI of the three-match series on 19 December, Thursday.
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Jasir Basharat is a cricket enthusiast capturing the heart of the game through insightful analysis and storytelling sharing his passion for the sport through engaging narratives. He is a business graduate from University of Kashmir.
