Pakistan's Late Charge Powers Them to 329 Against South Africa
Cape Town, Thursday: Pakistan's batting lineup fired at crucial moments, posting a challenging 329 in the second One-Day International against South Africa at Newlands. The backbone of the innings was a solid century stand between Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, while Kamran Ghulam's blistering half-century helped Pakistan finish strong in the death overs.
Pakistan’s innings, however, got off to a shaky start after being put in to bat. In the very first over, Marco Jansen struck, inducing an outside edge from Abdullah Shafique, who was dismissed for a duck, caught behind by the keeper. Despite the early setback, Pakistan didn’t retreat into a shell. Babar Azam and Saim Ayub played carefully but aggressively, finding regular boundaries while maintaining a calm approach. They added 48 runs in 56 balls before Ayub mistimed a steep delivery from debutant Kwena Maphaka, sending him back for just 16.
The Powerplay ended with a wicket-maiden, but Babar and Rizwan refused to allow the momentum to shift in South Africa’s favor. They rotated the strike efficiently, and Rizwan took calculated risks. In the 23rd over, he slogswept Aiden Markram for a six, and although he nearly fell to a keeper’s catch soon after, Rizwan remained undeterred. Babar continued his attack against the spinners and reached his half-century, while Rizwan accelerated, dispatching Jansen and Bjorn Fortuin for sixes. The pair looked set for bigger scores until disaster struck for Pakistan.
In quick succession, Babar (73) was dismissed, pulling Andile Phehlukwayo to mid-wicket, and Rizwan (80), after a flurry of boundaries off Maphaka, gave a return catch to the pacer. At 192 for 4, Pakistan needed a late surge to reach a competitive total, and Kamran Ghulam delivered in style. Ghulam’s fearless hitting turned the game in Pakistan’s favor as he launched Phehlukwayo for a boundary and a six before taking on Tabraiz Shamsi, smashing him for two sixes in an over. His 32-ball 63 was the catalyst for Pakistan’s rapid scoring, and Salman Agha added valuable runs before being dismissed for 33.
Despite David Miller’s brilliant run-out to send Irfan Khan packing, South Africa’s bowlers struggled with dropped catches. Klaasen let Rizwan off early, and Temba Bavuma and Maphaka both dropped crucial chances, allowing Pakistan to build momentum. Shaheen Afridi added a cameo towards the end, but Pakistan’s innings came to a close after South Africa picked up four wickets in the final six balls, reducing the visitors to 329 all out.
Brief Scores: Pakistan 329 in 49.5 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 80, Babar Azam 73, Kamran Ghulam 63; Kwena Maphaka 4-72, Marco Jansen 3-71) vs South Africa.
With a daunting total on the board, Pakistan will be confident in defending their score, while South Africa will need to regroup after several dropped chances and a spirited late charge from the visitors.
