Keshav Maharaj scored the winning runs to lead South Africa to victory against India at Chennai and make history. It was an exhilarating encounter.
Pakistan was put through its paces following the loss of several crucial wickets, with Shaheen Afridi making early breakthroughs that put South Africa off-balance. For a detailed breakdown of the match, you can check the Pakistan national cricket team vs South Africa national cricket team match scorecard, which provides a comprehensive overview of every player’s performance during this intense game.
1. Quinton de Kock (c)
Quinton de Kock has become South Africa’s best batsman at T20 international level, earning comparisons to legendary players like Adam Gilchrist and Mark Boucher early in his career and being rapidly promoted into the Proteas squad.
Expectations were high that India’s keeper-batter would dominate World Cup bowling competition with his big hitting, yet in reality he found difficulty with scoring 20, 0, 18 and 10 across his four league stage games. By Super 8s time however he finally found his form and finished up scoring 20, 37, and 74 against India, Sri Lanka, and United States of America respectively.
Bavuma and de Kock opened up for the Proteas with promising start, hitting two boundaries during their initial powerplay overs. But after this good start they lost momentum as Moeen Ali eventually bowled de Kock, before Jasprit Bumrah came on in the third over and gave away 10 runs in his two overs before Temba Bavuma came in at No 3 and hit several sixes en route to reaching 50 off 36 balls in 11 overs batting at no 5.
He hit Jofra Archer for fours and sixes off his first over, before striking two fours and sixes from Moeen Ali in his next. Reeza Hendricks played slowly before being dismissed by Usman Shinwari after four overs for SA at 69/4 when play was suspended.
2. Aiden Markram (wk)
Few matches in cricket can match the intensity of Pakistan versus South Africa meetings, as these fierce contests between these two titans has resulted in some incredible moments over the years – this matchup should prove no exception as South Africa hope to end their poor run of form by winning.
Babar Azam’s century set the scene for Pakistan’s impressive total. His patient innings was punctuated by aggressive shots at just the right times, helping Pakistan take control with bat and ball. Shaheen Afridi’s early wickets provided Pakistan an edge over South African batsmen as their bowling came into form and caused some anxiety for South African batsmen.
Rassie van der Dussen and Aiden Markram put up an excellent partnership of 75 runs off 45 balls before Markram fell to Mohammad Wasim Jr for 21(39). Markram kept smashing away in the powerplay until being sent back by Usama Mir in the first over of the second powerplay over.
Usama Mir returned as a concussion replacement for Shadab, who sustained head trauma while fielding earlier. Mir took two quick wickets with his second over, first dismissing Sune Luus for 10 and then hitting Heinrich Klaasen’s leg stump for another wicket.
South African middle and lower order held firm to prevent Pakistan from running out of time, while Pakistani bowlers held firm to secure an exhilarating victory – Haris Rauf struck against Lungi Ngidi at short third man before Tabraiz Shamsi survived an appeal against him for leg before ball to seal this thrilling win for hosts South Africa.
3. Lungi Ngidi (wk)
Ngidi stands 6 feet 4 inches, creating steep bounce off the pitch to trouble batsmen and is also adept at spinning and changing directions on the turn. He has played in only two Test matches thus far but has impressed with his ability to keep opponents’ batsmen at bay.
Ngidi made his T20I debut for South Africa against Sri Lanka at Centurion on January 20, 2017 and took two wickets in four overs on debut – but truly made his mark when taking six wickets as South Africa secured an historic win! His combination of pace and bounce caused havoc for Sri Lankan batsmen, winning him the Man of the Match award – something no other bowler was able to do during that game!
His impressive white-ball performance earned him selection to South Africa’s ICC T20 World Cup 2022 squad held in Australia and New Zealand. Additionally, Benoni Zalmi selected him for its inaugural T20 Global League season but due to a side strain he could not play any games during that period.
As someone from a humble background, Ngidi has always been an obedient and disciplined individual. He serves as an example for many young players while being deeply committed to cricket. Furthermore, he shows great determination towards improving his skills on the pitch.
South Africa’s batting lineup has long been one of the best. But recent inconsistency has resulted in some surprising defeats and South Africa must improve upon its batting consistency if it wants to continue winning series.
4. Temba Bavuma (wk)
Pakistan has produced numerous talented cricketers over time and won multiple prestigious tournaments, but maintaining consistency in major competitions such as ICC World Cup has proved challenging for them. Some days they seem like geniuses while at other times their performances embarrass both themselves and their legions of fans – but this year has marked an encouraging change!
South Africa remains undefeated in this tournament and are on track to reach the final. Their batsmen have thrived on Chepauk’s slow pitch while Kagiso Rabada, Reeza Hendricks and Gerald Coetzee’s bowling attack have torn through opposing batsmen with ease – Keshav Maharaj’s economy rate of 4.60 has also made an impressionful statement to opponents during middle overs play.
Babar Azam’s century was an outstanding display of pace and shot selection that provided Pakistan’s batting with stability and momentum. Shaheen Afridi’s early wickets put South Africa on the back foot while both captains’ timely bowling changes contributed to an evenly balanced match.
Muneeba Ali and Gull Feroza shared a partnership of 49 in the first Powerplay overs before being separated. Sune Luus dismissed Chloe Tryon and Tumi Sekhukhune consecutively to reduce the visitors to 153 for five.
South Africa may still feel confident of qualifying for the semifinals despite their loss; with four group games left and a healthy net run-rate of -0.40 remaining, and with only one victory out of their previous five encounters against Pakistan so far, South Africa are hopeful they have an opportunity to qualify. Pakistan, on the other hand, have no room for error in this tournament and must win every game to advance further – something Pakistan have only accomplished once out of five attempts against them!
5. Keshav Maharaj (wk)
Keshav Maharaj performed admirably for South Africa in the third ODI against Pakistan. He kept a cool head under pressure conditions and played some elegant drives before creating a good partnership with Fatima Sana. Additionally, captain KL Rahul commended Keshav for holding on to several catches, even though more consistency might have helped.
Pakistan got off to an excellent start under Afridi with early breakthroughs from early breakthrough bowler Shadab Khan’s spin and batsmen held firm against Shadab’s spin to secure a thrilling win and rise up in ICC rankings, while Babar Azam’s century and Shaheen Afridi’s bowling solidified both as top ten batsmen and bowlers respectively.
When they take on Bangladesh in their next World Cup match, South Africa’s Proteas will aim to extend their winning streak. Their well-balanced squad features both experienced players and up-and-coming talent.
Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram possess the potential to change any game through their exceptional batting and glovework. While South Africa have suffered due to an ineffective middle order, this tournament has shown enough resilience that this issue has been overcome.
South Africa’s bowlers have been outstanding, with Tabraiz Shamsi being caught off a leg-before-wicket call as an exception. Their batting has been powerful and reliable – especially against top teams overseas – yet finishing in key matches needs improving; recent victories have increased confidence, yet more consistency must be shown if they wish to advance further in competition.