Paarl: It was all-rounder Salman Agha's calmness which got Pakistan over the line in the last-over thriller first ODI of the three-match series against South Africa in Boland Park here on Tuesday, December 17, 2024. Pakistan took a 1-0 lead in the series.
It was an excellent game of cricket. The pendulum kept swinging from one team to the other, and in the end, the Men in Green emerged triumphant, winning the crucial moments of the game.
In reply to the below-par target of 240 runs, Pakistan was reeling at 60/4 at one stage, and the target seemed far away. But southpaw Saim Ayub and Agha got together and steadied the innings first. Once they got themselves into the middle, they started to find boundaries every now and then. The 141-run stand put Pakistan in front, but pacer Kagiso Rabada's double-wicket over, which included the scalp of centurion Ayub, brought a twist to the tale.
Shaheen Shah Afridi threw his wicket away but not Naseem Shah as he took a few blows to the gloves and played a perfect hand to Agha. South Africa did their best with the ball but they were a few runs short with the bat.
Earlier, Pakistan bowlers produced another stunning bowling performance, similar to what they did in Australia when they won the ODI series as they just used the 4 seamers there and they did the job for them.
The Pakistani pacers needed help from their spinners and the unlikely but very effective Agha was there for them. Agha started the slide after a fine 70-run opening stand and quickly took the first four wickets to fall as South Africa slipped to 88/4.
Aiden Markram then joined hands with Heinrich Klaasen and the experienced duo added 73 before Saim Ayub forced a miscue from the South African skipper. Klaasen did not get much support at the other end and with him looking good for a ton fell to a fine late inswinger from Shaheen Afridi. Rabada and Ottneil Baartman added crucial 21 runs in the end that saw South Africa posting below par but a very respectable total on the board.
Pakistan would want the rest of the batting lineup to contribute, not relying on that pair to bail them out every time. The hosts South Africa were poor with the bat and that cost them the game and they would look to bounce back strongly at Cape Town.
