South Africa pulled off a nail-biting one-wicket win over Pakistan in their ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday. The win has propelled South Africa to the top of the points table above hosts India, though they have played an extra game.
The match was a roller-coaster ride of emotions for both teams and their fans, as it went down to the wire with the last pair of Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi taking South Africa over the line with 16 balls to spare.
Pakistan, who won the toss and opted to bat first, posted a competitive total of 270, thanks to half-centuries from Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel. However, they lost their last five wickets for just 45 runs in the final overs, as Shamsi and Marco Jansen ran through their lower order.
Shamsi was the pick of the bowlers for South Africa, taking four wickets for 60 runs in his 10 overs. Jansen, who was playing only his second ODI, impressed with his pace and variations, claiming three wickets for 43 runs in nine overs.
South Africa's chase got off to a brisk start, as Quinton de Kock smashed 24 runs off just 14 balls, before falling to Shaheen Shah Afridi. Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen then added 54 runs for the third wicket, before both fell in quick succession.
The match seemed to be in South Africa's control when Aiden Markram and David Miller were batting together. Markram played a superb knock of 91 off 93 balls, hitting seven fours and three sixes. He overtook Virat Kohli to become the second-highest run-scorer of the World Cup during his innings.
Miller supported him well with a cameo of 29 off 33 balls, as they put on 70 runs for the fifth wicket. However, Pakistan fought back with some tight bowling and sharp fielding, as they picked up wickets at regular intervals.
Afridi was the main threat for Pakistan, as he took three crucial wickets for 45 runs in his 10 overs. He dismissed de Kock, Miller and Markram to keep his team in the hunt. He also bowled a brilliant penultimate over, conceding only four runs and taking the wicket of Lungi Ngidi.
Pakistan had a chance to seal the game in the 47th over, when Shamsi edged Mohammad Wasim to the keeper. However, the umpire gave it not out and Pakistan had no reviews left. Replays showed that there was a clear nick and Shamsi had survived.
Maharaj then hit the next ball for a boundary to level the scores and then finished the game with another four in the same over. He remained unbeaten on seven off 21 balls, while Shamsi was not out on four off six balls.
Maharaj's celebration showed how much the win meant to him and his team-mates, who were ecstatic in the dressing room. South Africa had overcome their past demons of choking in crunch situations and had shown great character and resilience to win a close game.
Shamsi was named the player of the match for his all-round performance. He said that he was happy to contribute to his team's win and praised Maharaj for holding his nerve in the end.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam rued the missed opportunity and said that he was proud of his team's effort. He admitted that they were 20-30 runs short with the bat and that they could have been more disciplined with the ball. He also said that he had no complaints about the umpiring decision that went against them.
Pakistan are now in a precarious position in the tournament, as they have only four points from six games. They need to win their remaining three games and hope for other results to go their way to have any chance of making it to the semi-finals.
South Africa, on the other hand, have strengthened their position at the top of the table with ten points from six games. They have one more game left against Afghanistan on November 1st. They will be hoping to maintain their momentum and secure their spot in the last four.