Saim Ayub’s second century in three games set up Pakistan’s 3-0 series victory as the Mohammad Rizwan-led side became the first team to whitewash South Africa in an ODI bilateral series at home. In the rain-affected third and final ODI, which was reduced to 47 overs a side, Pakistan racked up 308/9 before delivering a spirited bowling performance led by timely strikes, including that of Heinrich Klaasen after a 43-ball 81, and debutant Sufiyan Muqeem’s four-wicket haul.
Put in to bat in pace-friendly conditions after inclement weather delayed the toss, Pakistan lost opener Abdullah Shafique for a duck for the third time in three innings in this series. However, Ayub and Babar Azam ensured that South Africa weren’t able to make further inroads for the next 22 overs. The duo added 114 runs for the second wicket on either side of a 75-minute rain delay, putting Pakistan in a position of strength midway through the innings.
Babar reached his fifty off 64 balls with a cracking pull shot off Kwena Maphaka but fell to the young pacer while attempting an encore. His dismissal, however, didn’t quite work out the way South Africa would have liked, as Mohammad Rizwan, who replaced him at the crease, scored more freely and reached his fifty off 48 balls, adding to the hosts’ woes. Already under pressure after conceding the series, South Africa leaked 51 runs in five overs following Rizwan’s arrival. The 93-run stand between Ayub and Rizwan threatened to take the game away from South Africa.
Ayub reached his hundred, his third in a very young career, with a cut shot off Aiden Markram but fell in the next over to Corbin Bosch, the debutant who picked up his maiden international wicket in the process. Twin strikes by Bjorn Fortuin followed, accounting for the wickets of Kamran Ghulam and Rizwan in quick succession and denting Pakistan’s momentum, until Salman Agha and Tayyab Tahir came together for a 74-run stand. Both batters scored freely, combining to hit five fours and three sixes.
For South Africa, Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada combined to pick five wickets, but the inexperience of Kwena Maphaka and Bosch allowed Pakistan to recover from the setbacks and add partnerships that pushed their total beyond 300.
In response, South Africa lost both openers inside the first seven overs. Temba Bavuma fell to Naseem Shah at point, while Shaheen Afridi had Tony de Zorzi caught and bowled with a delivery that reared up awkwardly. Aiden Markram, dropped on 8, was removed by Muqeem with his first ball in ODI cricket.
There was a semblance of recovery when Rassie van der Dussen and Heinrich Klaasen joined hands in the middle to add 40 runs for the fourth wicket. The former was dismissed by a searing yorker from Mohammad Hasnain in his second spell, shortly before David Miller was expertly caught by Rizwan behind the stumps.
It was the Klaasen show for a while after that, as the batter went on to score a 29-ball fifty and even hit Afridi for four boundaries in a row. The left-arm pacer conceded another boundary and a maximum to Klaasen in his next over before dismissing the set batter with a short ball.
It wasn’t a straightforward affair for Pakistan even after that, with debutant Bosch keeping South Africa’s hopes alive from one end while wickets fell at the other. Bosch, having taken the situation to 37 needed off 32 balls, eventually ran out of partners. Muqeem picked three of the last four wickets to fall, including the final two wickets off consecutive balls.
Brief Scores: Pakistan 308/9 (Ayub 101; Rizwan 53, Babar 52; Rabada 3-56, Jansen 2-58) beat South Africa 271 all out in 42 overs (Klaasen 81, Bosch 40*; Muqeem 4-52) by 36 runs (DLS)
© Cricbuzz
