3rd T20: Pakistan defeat South Africa by 4 wickets

Lahore (Web Desk): In the third and decisive T20 match at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, Pakistan's bowlers were followed by a superb batting display as they chased down South Africa's target of 140 runs with 6 wickets remaining, achieving the target with 6 balls to spare.

Babar Azam's responsible knock of 68 runs off 47 balls, including 9 boundaries, played a pivotal role in helping Pakistan achieve the target. Captain Salman Ali Agha contributed with 33 runs, while Sahibzada Farhan made 19 runs. However, once again, Saim Ayub failed to open his account, and both Hassan Nawaz and Mohammad Nawaz were dismissed without scoring.

South Africa set a target of 140 by scoring 139 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in their 20 overs. Riza Hendricks (34) and Corbin Bosch (30) were the top scorers for South Africa, but Pakistan's bowlers, with precise line and length, didn't allow them to play freely.

Shaheen Shah Afridi took 3 wickets, while debutant spinner Usman Tariq and Faheem Ashraf claimed 2 wickets each. Mohammad Nawaz and Salman Mirza both took one wicket.

In the first T20, South Africa defeated Pakistan by 55 runs, with Pakistan falling short of a target of 195 runs, only managing 139 runs in the 19th over. Pakistan made a strong comeback in the second T20, defeating South Africa by 9 wickets to level the series 1-1. On October 31, in Lahore, Pakistan chased down a modest target of 111 runs in just the 14th over, with Saim Ayub scoring an unbeaten 71. Faheem Ashraf took 4 wickets for 23 runs, while Salman Mirza took 3 wickets for 14 runs.