Pakistan Secures ODI Series Victory Against South Africa With 81-Run Win

Cape Town, South Africa: Pakistan defeated South Africa by 81 runs in the second One Day International (ODI), clinching an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

With this victory, Pakistan claimed its third ODI series win in South Africa, becoming the first team in the 21st century to win three bilateral ODI series on South African soil. Kamran Ghulam was named the Player of the Match for his match-winning performance.

Match Summary:

1st Innings – Pakistan Batting: South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and invited Pakistan to bat first. Pakistan set a total of 329 runs before being bowled out in 49.5 overs.

Key contributions came from Babar Azam, who scored 73 runs, and captain Mohammad Rizwan, who added 80 runs to the tally. Saeem Ayub scored 25 runs, while Salman Ali Agha contributed 33. Towards the end, Kamran Ghulam played a stellar knock, smashing 63 runs off just 32 balls, including five sixes. Irfan Khan scored 15, Shaheen Afridi 16, and Haris Rauf managed 6 runs.

On the bowling front, South Africa’s Mfaka took 4 wickets, while Marco Jansen bagged 3 wickets.

2nd Innings – South Africa Batting: Chasing a target of 329, South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen put up a strong fight, scoring 97 runs off 74 balls with 4 sixes and 8 fours. Other key contributors included Tony de Zorzi (34), David Miller (29), Rassie van der Dussen (23), Aiden Markram (21), and captain Temba Bavuma (12).

Pakistan’s bowling attack was led by Shaheen Shah Afridi, who claimed 4 wickets for 47 runs in his 8-over spell. Naseem Shah took 3 wickets, Abrar Ahmed picked up 2, and Salman Ali Agha secured 1 wicket.

Team Changes: South Africa made four changes to their squad for the second ODI, while Pakistan maintained their winning combination with no changes to the playing XI.

Post-Match Remarks: Pakistan’s captain Mohammad Rizwan expressed his delight at the series win, attributing the success to teamwork. “We are extremely happy to win the series. This victory is a result of our collective effort as a team,” he said.

Earlier, South Africa had won the three-match T20 series against Pakistan with a 2-0 victory. Pakistan’s triumph in the ODI series, however, marks a significant turnaround and adds to their record of success on South African soil.