Cape Town (Web Desk): Pakistan’s bowlers, led by Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, were in superb form as they skittled out South Africa for a paltry 248 while chasing a mammoth 330 in the second ODI at Newlands,Cape Town on Thursday.
The home side, despite a valiant 97 from Heinrich Klaasen, had no answers to Pakistan’s relentless pace attack, and by the time the last wicket fell, they had fallen well short of the target, leaving the series all but decided with a 2-0 lead for Pakistan.
The chase started poorly for the Proteas, with early wickets throwing them on the back foot. Klaasen tried to revive the innings, his powerful strokeplay including 8 fours and 4 sixes, but the absence of substantial partnerships meant South Africa never got close to the target.
Only Tony de Zorzi (34) managed to offer any resistance, but it was Klaasen’s lone battle that stood out in an otherwise disappointing collapse.
Afridi was the pick of the bowlers, picking up 4 wickets for 47 runs, while Naseem Shah was a constant threat, finishing with 3 wickets for 37 in just 8.3 overs. Pakistan’s spinners chipped in too, with Abrar Ahmed claiming two crucial scalps.
Earlier, Pakistan had posted a daunting total of 330, thanks to a quick-fire cameo from Kamran Ghulam at the end. After a rocky start that saw Abdullah Shafique dismissed for a duck on the second ball of the match, Pakistan needed a solid partnership to recover.
Babar Azam, fresh from a solid showing in the first ODI, was joined by Saim Ayub. The pair managed to steady the ship with a 48-run partnership before Ayub fell in the 10th over.
Babar then found a willing partner in Mohammad Rizwan, with the pair adding 115 runs for the third wicket.
Both men reached half-centuries in the process, anchoring the innings for Pakistan in the face of some disciplined South African bowling.
But just as the partnership seemed to be taking the game away from the hosts, Babar was dismissed for 73 off 95 balls, ending a vital knock that had included seven boundaries.
Rizwan continued to lead the charge, even as wickets fell around him. He remained Pakistan’s highest scorer, making 80 runs off 82 balls, with 10 boundaries and three sixes. His knock helped Pakistan inch closer to the target despite the fall of quick wickets at the other end.
Ghulam then took over the reins, playing a stunning cameo of 63 off just 32 balls, smashing four fours and five sixes to provide the final push. He was dismissed on the first ball of the last over, but by then, Pakistan had set a target beyond the reach of South Africa.
South Africa’s bowlers, especially Maphaka, tried their best to keep the target within reach, but the pressure of chasing such a high total was too much. Maphaka finished with 4 wickets for 56, while Jansen’s 3-wicket haul also showed some promise, but they were unable to stop the flow of runs, and their team eventually succumbed to Pakistan’s relentless attack.
With this win, Pakistan wrapped up the series with a match to spare, a dominant performance that saw their bowlers rise to the occasion after a challenging start with the bat.
The final ODI in Johannesburg now becomes a formality, as Pakistan look to complete a sweep, while South Africa will try to avoid a clean sweep in front of their home crowd.
Teams
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (C/WK), Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
South Africa: Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (C), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Marco Jansen, Andile Phehlukwayo, Bjorn Fortuin, Kwena Maphaka, Tabraiz Shamsi
