Once Pakistan’s spinners got on the act, extracting turn and bounce from the pitch, South Africa were left spellbound and ultimately shot out for 143 in the series-deciding One-day International at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on Saturday.
Salman Ali Agha (2-18) provided the first two wickets before Mohammad Nawaz (2-31) followed with the big dismissal of Quinton de Kock until Abrar Ahmed (4-27) ran through South Africa’s spine, leaving a packed crowd expecting a routine chase for their side to clinch the three-match series that has marked the return of international cricket to the city after 17 years.
South Africa captain Matthew Breetzke had won the toss and elected to bat on a sun-kissed track that looked to have no hidden demons with De Kock (53) and Lhuan-dre Pretorius (39) getting off to a solid start.
Pretorius had been watchful at the beginning but got going after an edge flew past the wicket-keeper, and with no slip in place, for four in the seventh over by Haris Rauf. He would follow that with two more boundaries in that over – the first driven through the covers and the second smashed wide of point.
At the other end, all of De Kock’s runs – 12 off 17 by that point – had come from boundaries; two of them off consecutive balls by Shaheen Shah Afridi in the fifth over. Run-making otherwise had been difficult and there were no more boundaries in three overs after that as South Africa closed the 10th at 47-0.
A 31-ball boundary drought ended when Pretorius lifted Salman over his head for six in the 13th over. De Kock followed in the next over, pummelling Saim Ayub over wide long-on for another.
The 72-run opening stand, though, ended when Salman returned to have Pretorius caught at long-off by Babar Azam; the left-hander having hit four fours and a six during his 45-ball stay. Salman struck again, four overs later when Tony de Zorzi chipped him to the cover fielder.
The stadium then erupted when De Kock was adjudged lbw, only for the DRS to overturn it. The left-hander, whose splendid century in the second game had helped South Africa level the series, completed his half century off 68 deliveries with his sixth four, a sweep of Nawaz, only to be trapped lbw by the spinner two deliveries later.
There was further joy for Pakistan as South Africa slipped from 106-2 to 109-4 with Abrar cleaning up debutant Rubin Hermann on the first ball of the 26th over. Bails were flying once again, twice off two balls, two overs later as Abrar worked his magic. First Donovan Ferreira was bowled round his legs before a googly that stayed low knocked back Corbin Bosch’s off-stump.
Pakistan had South Africa on the ropes with Breetzke (16) running out of partners quick and fast as Nawaz had Bjorn Fortuin lbw, and the writing was on the wall for the Proteas when their skipper was caught behind off Abrar, who recorded his career-best ODI figures, as they slipped to 130-8.
Pakistan captain Shaheen (2-18) then cleaned up the tail with two wickets in two balls – both of them bowled, including the wicket of Nqabayomzi Peter who made a defiant 16, as South Africa folded in 37.5 overs.
