Pakistan Survive Late Drama to Seal Victory Over South Africa in Series Opener
PAK vs SA 1st ODI Highlights: Pakistan narrowly won the first ODI against South Africa in Faisalabad in the last over, despite once being comfortably on the winning side. Captain Shaheen Afridi apologized after the match.
The three-match Pakistan vs South Africa ODI series started with a victory for the hosts. The first match of the series was held at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. South Africa, batting first after losing the toss, could only manage 263 runs in 49.1 overs. In response, Fakhar Zaman and Sam Ayub provided a strong start for Pakistan. Pakistan was once on track to win the match easily, but a series of wickets in the final few overs created unnecessary problems. However, they managed to win with two balls to spare. Captain Shaheen Afridi apologized for this after the match.
In the match, Pakistan cricket team captain Shaheen Afridi won the toss and invited South Africa to bat, a decision that proved costly for them. The Proteas lost their first wicket at 98 and their second at 141. From there, South Africa looked set to score 300+.
However, Pakistan's bowlers then brought the Proteas back into the game, bundling them out for 263. Quinton de Kock scored 63, Luan Drapetorius 57, Matthew Breetzke 42, and Corbin Bos 41. Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed took three wickets each for Pakistan.
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Chasing a target of 264, Pakistan got off to a flying start with Fakhar Zaman (45) and Sam Ayub (39). They shared an 87-run opening partnership in 15.2 overs. The second wicket then fell at 102 and the third at 105, putting Pakistan under pressure.
Salman Agha then scored 62 runs off 71 balls, and Mohammad Rizwan scored 55 runs off 74 balls, paving the way for Pakistan's victory. Meanwhile, wickets began to fall once again, putting the team under immense pressure. However, Pakistan narrowly escaped with a win on the fourth ball of the last over.
After the match, Pakistani captain Shaheen Afridi said, "Nothing special, but for me, it was a normal match. Our batsmen deserve the credit. They handled the turn and swing of the ball very well in the second innings." They batted well even on a difficult pitch.
In the end, Shaheen apologized for the frequent loss of wickets, saying that such things always happen. He will try to avoid it again. He thanked the spectators. This is Pakistan's fifth consecutive ODI win against South Africa and also Pakistan's highest run chase in Faisalabad.
