CWC 2023, Match Number 26, South Africa VS Pakistan Played at Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on 27 October 2023
Pakistan 270 All Out in 46.4 Overs (Saud Shakeel 52, Babar Azam 50, Shadab Khan 43, Mohammad Rizwan 31, Mohammad Nawaz 24, Tabraiz Shamsi 4/60, Marco Jansen 3/43, Gerald Coetzee 2/42)
South Africa 271/9 in 47.2 Overs (Aiden Markram 91, David Miller 29, Temba Bavuma 28, Quinton de Kock 24, Rassie van der Dussen 21, Marco Jansen 20, Shaheen Shah Afridi 3/45, Usama Mir 2/45, Mohammad Wasim 2/50, Haris Rauf 2/62)
South Africa won by 1 wicket with 16 balls to spare
Player of the match: Tabraiz Shamsi (4/60)
South Africa almost choked against Pakistan at Chidambaram stadium Chennai winning against Pakistan by just 1 wicket with 16 balls to spare. Winning the toss and electing Pakistan desperately needing to win posted a fighting score of 270 all out.
The wicket was dry, slow, and turning a bit. South Africa in the reply appeared to cruise reaching 6/235 by the 37th over. Pakistan striking repeated blows made it 9/260 by 45.3 Overs. South African tailenders Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj surviving Pakistan scare took Protean over and across the target scoring 271/9 in 47.2 Overs. Losing by 1 wicket Pakistan’s mission CWC 2023 is now all but over. South Africa consolidated its position among the top four in the points table.
In CWC 2023 matches were not witnessing sea saw contest. Pakistan -South Africa match has been the first that went down to the wire. The possibilities of Protean choking were in the air as soon as Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat. The cricket team of the Rainbow Nation is known as bad chasers. In this tournament in the six matches that South Africa twice chased. They lost against Netherlands and struggled against Pakistan. Pakistan batting was featured by young two half centuries by Saud Shakeel (52) and Babar Azam (50). Mohammad Rizwan (43). Mohammad Rizwan (31) and Mohammad Newaz (24) made some contributions. If only one of the batsmen could stay longer at the wicket extending the innings to 80 or 90 Pakistan could have posted 300 plus runs. That could be winning score at the wicket where ball was not coming to the bat, gripping, and turning. Bangladesh was undone by the tricks of Tabraiz Shamsi with his left arm wrist spinners taking 4/60 Runs. Pakistan did not have luck as well.
However, Pakistan bowled and fielded with hearts out and kept on taking wickets at regular interval. But unlike Pakistani top and middle order batsmen Aiden Markram took his innings deep scoring 91 runs. The rest of the batting rotated around him. Like Pakistan some protean batsmen got start but could not get going. David Miller (29), Temba Bavuma (28), Quinton de Kock (24), Rassie van der Dussen (21) and Marco Jansen (20) made useful contribution. South Africa appeared cruising at 6/235 with Aiden Markram leading the charge. Usama Mir coming as replacement of injured Shadab Khan removing well set Markram (91) set the cat in the mouse. Protean quickly lost 3 wickets. However, tail enders Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj took the team across surviving Pakistan scare.
South Africa won by 1 wicket scoring 271/9 in 47.2 Overs. Losing 4 matches of the 6 Pakistan mission CWC 2023 is all but over. South Africa with five wins of the six now leads the points table with 10 points. Tabraiz Shamsi for his brilliant bowling (4/60) was adjudged player of the match.
BDST: 0928 HRS, OCT 28, 2023
SMS
