Four-fer from Tabraiz Shamsi and a Three-wicket haul from Marco Jansen followed by a 91-run knock from Aiden Markram and a final touch from Keshav Maharaj handed South Africa a nervy one-wicket win over Pakistan in match number 26 of ICC ODI World Cup 2023 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Speaking about the game, Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first. Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq got dismissed earlier for 9 and 12 courtesy of a splendid bowling display from Marco Jansen as he struck twice to send off the openers. Babar and Rizwan steadied the ship with a 48-run stand before Rizwan nicked one to the keeper of Gerald Coetzee for 31.
Babar too got dismissed soon after scoring a half-century. Shadab Khan and Saud Shakeel added 84 runs for the sixth wicket, they played brilliantly to ensure Pakistan were on the setting of a big target. Coetzee broke yet another partnership by picking Shadab Khan with a surprise short delivery. Pakistan collapsed from that, eventually getting bowled out for 270. Saud Shakeel top-scored with 52. For South Africa, Marco Jansen picked up three wickets for 43 in his 10 overs while Shamsi was the architect in restricting Pakistan to 270 as he ended his spell with 4/60 in his 10 overs.
Chasing 271, South Africa got off to a bright start with Quinton de Kock taking on Shaheen Afridi earlier over 15 runs, but Afridi had the last laugh as he dismissed De Kock for 24 with a well-planned short ball. Aiden Markram amassed 91 runs for South Africa, all the other batters played around him in the chase and South Africa were cruising to victory at 206/4 with just 65 runs to get, then Pakistan chipped in with wickets at Regular interval as Mohammad Wasim Junior and Shaheen Afridi picked wickets in Partnership.
At 250/6 and 21 runs to get in nearly 10 overs, Aiden Markram did play a brain-faded shot to hand South Africa pressure and suddenly they were reeling at 250/8. Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi held on their nerve and played smartly to hand South Africa a one-wicket win. South Africa tops the table with the win.
Meanwhile, let us look at the stats and numbers from game number 26 between Pakistan and South Africa:
2 -This is the second time South Africa have won a match by one wicket in the ODI World Cup. They previously beat Sri Lanka by one wicket in 2007.
271 -South Africa chased down a total of 271, this is the second-highest successful run-chase for South Africa in the World Cup. 297 against India in Nagpur in 2011 is their highest.
3 -This is the third time Pakistan lost a World Cup game while defending 270+ totals.
1 -This is the first win for South Africa against Pakistan in ODI/ T20 World Cup since 1999.
3 -271 chased by South Africa is the third-highest chase in a World Cup game in Chennai. 289/4 by Australia against New Zealand tops the list followed by 286/2 by Afghanistan against Pakistan.
4 -Pakistan have now lost consecutive four games in the World Cup 2023.
3 -91 scored by Aiden Markram is the third-highest score by a batter in the ODI World Cup while chasing Chennai. Mark Waugh’s 110 against New Zealand in 1996 followed by KL Rahul’s 97* against Australia in 2023.
500 -Babar Azam (503) completes 500 fours in ODIs.
