It was a normal day at SuperSport Park in Centurion with two teams playing usual (referred to as boring in modern lingo) ODI cricket until one of them decided to make it interesting. Pakistan, while chasing down a target of 274 set up by the South African, were having an easy ride, were rather cruising to it at 186-1 in the 32nd over with their young skipper having completed his 13th ODI century in just his 78th game. But Pakistan and things going smoothly are antonyms to an extreme.
Babar, trying to be cheeky, edged one to the wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock and was soon followed by his partner Imam-Ul-Haq, jeopardising their chances, but not completely. However, two newcomers, debutant Danish Aziz and relatively inexperienced Asif Ali also fell in the footsteps of their skipper, playing wasteful shots to put Pakistan under all sorts of pressure. From 186-1, they were suddenly 203-5.
It was then that the experienced and calm heads of Mohammad Rizwan and Shadab Khan eked out a plan to get the remaining runs, which were required at less than run a ball. The duo added 53 for the seventh wicket. Just when Pakistan looked in complete control, the panic button was pressed once again. Rizwan, trying to hit one out of the park, just managed to hole it out in the deep to Andile Phehlukwayo. The run rate pressure mounted again and from 18 required off 17 balls, the equation got up to 13 off nine balls.
But then Pakistan were gifted another lifeline as Lungi Ngidi bowled Shadab, but it was declared a waist-high no-ball and on the free hit, he hit a four and then took three of the last ball to simplify the matters with three required off the last over. So we thought it was over by then, but it wasn’t. Shadab trying to be a superhero, hit the very first ball in the air and was caught by Rassie Van der Dussen at deep Point. Rassie was the one who had dropped him early on. Faheem Ashraf then played three dots with the last of them hitting him on his helmet and the physio rushing to the field for the mandatory concussion check.
Whether it was the physio or the ball hitting, but some sense was put in Faheem’s head and to his support, Phehlukwayo, who had kept it short and wide for the first four balls, pitched it fuller and the left-hander hit it down the ground to pick up two and make the match tantalizingly enticing with Super Over hopes getting aroused. With one required of the last ball, Temba Bavuma the skipper brought in the field and blocked all the ways. All that Phehlukwayo was required to do was to land in a near-perfect yorker or a wide yorker at the very best, if not a perfect toe crusher. But he bowled it a pitch-perfect length ball for Faheem to drive past short cover and get to the win. Pakistan won by three wickets. Nortje was the best bowler for the Proteas with four scalps to his credit.
Earlier in the day, Babar invited Bavuma’s men to bat after winning the toss. The result was as desired for the Pakistanis (can’t say men in green as both the teams wore almost the same dress) as they picked four wickets pushing the South African train off the tracks. Shaheen Afridi was the wrecker in chief, picking two of those four wickets.
Rassie, playing only his 22nd game, turned out to be the saviour for South Africa, scoring his maiden ton and getting the team up to a respectable total of 273-6. He was supported well by David Miller who got a fifty and Phehlukwayo (29 off 35).
The two teams will now collide at The Wanderers Stadium in the second ODI on 4th April.