The tournament finally ignited on October 27, 2023 after 23 days, delivering its first closely contested match. South Africa claimed the top spot in the standings with a hard-fought victory.
The MA Chidambaram stadium was the stage for this thrilling encounter. In pursuit of 271 runs under the floodlights, de Kock displayed a desire to finish the game within 30 overs, but he was caught, and Pakistan consistently took wickets to mount a comeback.
Aiden Markram seemed poised to lead his team to victory, but his dismissal at a crucial moment shifted the balance. When the eighth wicket fell, Pakistan was considered the favorite. However, Ngidi and Maharaj managed to handle some challenging deliveries. Rauf’s dismissal briefly swung the game in Pakistan’s favour, but Maharaj and Shamsi wisely played out the pace bowlers.
Babar had to introduce a spinner, and when Nawaz came on, Maharaj seized the opportunity. Amidst the drama, Shadab left the field with a head injury, and Usama Mir, a concussion substitute, took two important wickets.
Wasim Jr. suffered from cramps towards the end, adding to the tension. South Africa held their nerve during the crucial moments and emerged victorious. Pakistan put up a spirited fight until the last ball but couldn’t secure that elusive final wicket. Rauf was left frustrated by an umpire’s decision not to give an LBW off Shamsi.
Earlier, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam won the toss and elected to bat against South Africa in the ongoing World Cup on Friday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and left-handed batter Saud Shakeel’s powerful knocks took Pakistan to 270 runs against South Africa in the 26th match of the ODI World Cup 2023.
Pakistan’s openers, Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq, couldn’t make a significant impact in the first inning. However, Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel played powerfully, helping Pakistan reach a total of 270 runs.
Shafique contributed nine runs from 17 balls before being dismissed by Marco Jensen (20-1). Jensen continued his success by dismissing Imam for 12 runs in the 6.3 overs (PAK 38-2). During the first powerplay, Pakistan scored 58 runs, but South Africa managed to pick up two early wickets.
In the third powerplay, the Pakistani batsmen added 45 runs to their total, while the Proteas took four wickets. South African bowlers Shamsi and Jansen were instrumental in their team’s performance, taking four and three wickets, respectively, during their spells. Coetzee secured two wickets, and Ngidi took one. South Africa needed to chase a target of 271 runs to secure their third consecutive victory in the tournament.
