Pakistan have rallied back with consecutive victories against the Proteas to seal the T20I series 2-1.
It was another first-over masterclass from Shaheen Shah Afridi, who removed left-handers Quinton de Kock and Lhuan-dre Pretorius without scoring. The much-awaited return for de Kock left many wanting, as he managed just the 30 runs in this series.
This would set the tone for how much of the rest of the innings would go for the visitors. Dewald Brevis overcame a nervous start and hit a couple of sixes, but debutant off spinner Usman Tariq had the last laugh when he holed out to long-on.
Spin continued to keep SA at bay, as Matthew Breetzke was bowled by Mohammed Nawaz. However, the arrival of skipper Donovan Ferreira brought about a fleeting momentum shift. The strong right-hander cracked 29 from 14 after the mid-innings drinks break, but one aggressive shot too many brought about his downfall as well.
Reeza Hendricks did his best to bat through, but couldn’t find any rhythm throughout his knock. A handy unbeaten 30 from Corbin Bosch managed to drive SA to a score of some substance at halftime.
It was a stellar effort from all the Pakistani bowlers, who ensured that the South Africans wouldn’t recover from the early blows.
Pakistan’s chase got off to a watchful start, as Saim Ayub gave mid-on an easy catch in the second over.
Babar Azam hit a few delightful boundaries, but Sahibzada Farhan found it tough to rotate strike. Farhan’s innings came to an end when he pulled a half-tracker from Donovan Ferreira to deep midwicket.
From then on, it was gradually smooth sailing for the men in green. Salman Ali Agha and Babar added 76 runs between them, and even a late mini-collapse would only delay the inevitable.
In spite of a solid first game, this series has delivered a timely reality check for the inexperienced Proteas outfit. Some of the fringe players had the opportunity to throw their hats in the ring for a possible WC spot, but didn’t fully take their chances.
The ODIs start on Tuesday, November 4.
SA 139/9 in 20 overs (Hendricks 34, Bosch 30*, Ferreira 29 – Shaheen Shah Afridi 4-0-26-3)
PAK 140/6 in 19 overs (Babar 68, Salman 33 – Bosch 4-0-24-2)
Written By: Abhai Sawkar
