Istafa Ali
South Africa beat Pakistan by one wicket in the World Cup on Friday in Chennai. Babar Azam’s team is getting closer and closer to being eliminated from the mega event.
With three games left and four losses, Pakistan will want everything to go their way in order to make it to the semifinals. The Men in Green will depend on how other teams do and their net run rate.
The Proteas also beat the Green Shirts in an ODI World Cup for the first time since 1999.
Proteas has won five of their six games so far, while Pakistan has only won two of theirs with three games still to play.
They had some problems while trying to beat the score of 271, but Aiden Markram’s great 91 helped them cross the finish line.
Before, Pakistan was bowled out for 270 runs in 46.4 overs. Marc Jansen ended with figures of 3/49, while Tabraiz Shamsi got figures of 4/60. Gerald Coetzee, a new fast bowler, took two wickets for 2/42.
Pakistan lost both of their starters, Abdullah Shafique (9) and Imamul Haq (12), for very little money. Marco Jansen scored twice to put pressure on the team.
Mohammad Rizwan (51) and skipper Babar Azam (50) tried to work together to make the score higher, but Gerald Coetzee bowled Rizwan out for 31. Tabraiz Shamsi got rid of the Pakistan leader for 50 runs, and Iftikhar Ahmed was out for 21.
Saud Shakeel (52) and Shadab Khan (43) were willing to take risks and scored runs with fiery boundaries. Mohammad Nawaz tried to keep the rhythm going after they were taken out so that a good score could be made against the Proteas. He did not pull Jansen’s throw well, though, and was caught on the off side.
There was a chase, and Quinton de Kock (28) started off quickly. But Wasim Jr. got him off the bowling of Shaheen Afridi. Also in charge was 24-year-old skipper Temba Bavuma, but Wasim took him off.
Rassie Van der Dussen and Aiden Markram led the way, but Pakistan came back with two quick wickets. Markram and Miller put together a 70-run stand for the fifth wicket until Shaheen got rid of Miller (29) and Wasim Jr. beat Jansen (20) to give Pakistan some hope.
