News Desk
A brilliant century from Saim Ayub and an all-round performance from Agha Salman guided Pakistan to a thrilling 3-wicket victory over South Africa in the first ODI at the Boland Park Stadium in the South African town of Paarl, leading the three-match series 1-0.
Chasing a modest target, Pakistan’s pursuit got off to a rocky start as Marco Jansen dismissed Abdullah Shafique for a duck, rattling his stumps with a sharp delivery. The early setback put Pakistan on the back foot, but Babar Azam came in to steady the ship.
Azam and Ayub put together a partnership of 44 runs before Baartman struck, removing Babar for 23 off 38 balls. Pakistan’s chase suffered another blow when Captain Muhammad Rizwan was undone by a sharp delivery from Baartman, leaving Pakistan at 60 for 3.
The situation grew more tense when a communication breakdown between Kamran Ghulam and Ayub led to a mix-up, leaving Pakistan four wickets down with just 60 runs on the board.
With almost 180 runs required, the partnership between Saim and Agha Salman proved decisive. The two added 141 runs for the fifth wicket, with Saim playing a dominant role.
He scored a brilliant 109 off 112 balls, including 10 fours and 3 sixes, bringing Pakistan into a commanding position. However, his dismissal off Kagiso Rabada left Pakistan still needing 39 runs from 52 balls.
Rabada struck again soon after, dismissing Irfan Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi without scoring. But with 31 runs still required, Salman took charge. He steered Pakistan to victory with a composed unbeaten 82, which included four fours and two towering sixes.
Pakistan managed to chase down the target with three balls to spare, securing a hard-fought win.
Salman was named the Man of the Match for his outstanding all-round performance, which included an unbeaten 82 and a four-wicket haul earlier in the game.
Earlier, South African captain Aiden Markram won the toss and elected to bat first.
The decision to bat first initially paid off as openers Tony de Zorzi and Ryan Rickleton provided a solid start with a partnership of 70 runs in the first powerplay.
