A century from Babar Azam scored a three-wicket, last-ball win for Pakistan in the first ODI against South Africa at Centurion’s Supersport Park on Friday. The Pakistan captain played a stormy innings of 103 off 104 balls and a 177-run second-wicket partnership with Imam-ul-Haq, who scored 70 runs. But with Babar being dismissed, a fast bowler Enrique Narje took four wickets in four overs. . Out of 186 on hand to reach the target of 276 runs, Pakistan put up a score of 203 in front of Mohammed Rizwan and Shadab Khan led the innings again for the sixth wicket of 53. On the last ball, Ashraf hit the winning run off the ball of Andile Fehlukwayo.
“There was a bit of pressure, but we will learn from that,” Babur said in the post-match presentation through an interpreter.
Babar, who was elected man of the match, praised his bowlers, who after winning the toss, came within three runs of achieving their goal of limiting South Africa to a total score of 270.
“I told them to work hard and there was some swing as well,” he said.
“He took wickets in the power play and it helped us.”
Rashi van der Dussen had to make a defense for South Africa after the hosts scored 55 for four in 15 overs.
He scored an unbeaten 123-run century to put South Africa on 273 for six.
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma admitted that the loss of early wickets hampered South Africa’s offensive intentions.
“We did not help ourselves with our batting efforts in the first ten overs,” he said.
The win gave Pakistan a significant advantage in the three-match series, with South Africa losing five key players in the Indian Premier League after the second match on Sunday in Johannesburg.
Nortje, who will leave for India, conceded 31 runs in the first spell of his five overs, but came back strongly, bowling out Babar and Imam for successive overs after being caught by new cap Danish Aziz. Happened.
When Asif Ali was caught by a top-edged bridge, South Africa were back in the game. Norje took four wickets for 51 runs.
Rizwan, who was Man of the Series in both the Test and Twenty20 series against South Africa in Pakistan in the first year, again showed his calm temperament as he and Shadab kept their side close to victory.
But both Rizwan and Shadab faced over-ambitious shots against the medium-speed Felukwe as the match went down on the last ball.
Van der Dussen and David Miller (50) revived South Africa’s innings with a fourth wicket stand of 116 for the first wicket.
Van der Dussen and Fehlukwe (29) then added 64 runs for the sixth wicket.
Promoted
The 32-year-old Van der Dusan has been dismissed three times in the nineties – twice in one-day internationals and once in Test matches – since making his debut two seasons ago.
He took 80 balls to reach his fifty but increased his innings pace to finish off 134 balls with ten fours and two sixes.
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