Image Credit- ICC
With the No. 11 in tow, Keshav Maharaj swung Mohammad
Nawaz to the fine-leg boundary for the winning runs. His teammates, watching
from the dressing room, were relieved as he burst into celebration. In their
World Cup 2023 campaign, South Africa had broken free from the chokehold
against Pakistan in Chennai, winning by the slimmest of margins.
They now share the top spot in the table with India on
ten points, although they have an advantage in net run rate because to their
one-wicket victory.
Their bowlers, especially Marco Jansen and Tabraiz
Shamsi, created the stage for the victory by dismissing Pakistan for 270 in
46.4 overs, even though they were well-positioned at 225 for 5 in the 40th
over. And a South African victory appeared certain until Aiden Markram, who
scored 91 runs in his innings to surpass Virat Kohli as the second-highest run
scorer of this World Cup, and David Miller combined for a 70-run partnership
for the fifth wicket. That all changed in the 34th over when Miller was sent packing
by Shaheen Shah Afridi with the goal still 65 runs away.
Being South Africa’s final recognised pair of batters,
Jansen and Markram started to hack at the equation instead of approaching it
cautiously, and the delicate balance seemed to move South Africa’s way once
more. Jansen spooned a slower ball to Babar Azam at point in the 37th over,
after he had clattered Haris Rauf back over his head for a flat six. This left
South Africa 36 behind the goal with four wickets remaining.
Usama Mir, a legspinner who replaced Shadab Khan in
the 15th over of South Africa’s chase after Markram suffered a concussion, took
his second wicket after 14 runs when Markram attempted a heave that gave Babar
another chance to catch the ball with a leading edge. With 22 runs still needed to get home, South Africa’s final recognised hitter was gone.
Next, Afridi found Gerald Coetzee’s outside edge, and
Rauf dismissed Lungi Ngidi with a diving one-handed return catch. They had
already pushed and poked their way to within 11 runs of victory by that point.
On another day, Rauf’s leg before wicket appeal against Shamsi, the No. 11
player, off the last ball of the 46th over, would have been upheld by umpire
Alex Wharf. No, not now. After reviewing the not-out call, Pakistan had to
watch in pain as ball-tracking revealed that the umpire’s call had been made on
contact. After 25 matches, the 2023 ODI World Cup had its first thrilling
contest after nine balls. South Africa also avoided choking.