Aiden Markram helps team to thrilling win | SA climb to top | Pakistan lose 4th game in row
Chennai: South Africa broke their 24-year World Cup jinx against Pakistan with a thrilling one-wicket victory, a Reuters report in The Tribune, Chandigarh, says.
With this victory, South Africa moved closer to securing a semifinal place with their fifth win in six games. For Pakistan it was their fourth defeat in a rowprecariously on the edge of getting knocked of the semi-finals
South Africa started their chase of 271 well as Quinton de Kock (24) and Temba Bavuma (28) landed early blows before Pakistan struck back with timely wickets, but Markram (91) held his nerve to take them close and they eventually got home in 47.2 overs.
Usama Mir (2/45) came on as a substitute after Shadab Khan hurt himself fielding and he got rid of Rassie van der Dussen and took a catch to dismiss Heinrich Klaasen while David Miller (29) and Marco Jansen (20) departed after cameos.
24 South Africa ended their 24-year jinx by beating Pakistan for the first time in the World Cup since the 1999 edition
This is the first time that Pakistan have lost four consecutive matches at the ODI World Cup
But the Proteas would not be denied a first victory batting second in the event despite Markram falling to Usama and Gerald Coetzee to Shaheen Afridi (3/45), as Keshav Maharaj and Player of the Match Tabraiz Shamsi hung on to settle the tense game.
The key was holding your nerves in the end. It’s so tempting when you see a spinner to play a big shot and try and finish it early, said Tabraiz Shamsi, player of the match
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, said: “Very disappointing, we fought back well but we were 10-15 runs short. We had the opportunity to win this match and stay in the tournament but we missed it. We will try our best in our next three matches”.
Pakistan fell to their fourth successive defeat as Maharaj hit a four off his legs but Haris Rauf (2/62) nearly won it for them towards the end with a diving catch to send back Lungi Ngidi before No. 11 Shamsi survived a review for lbw.
“It’s a bit of chaos (in the dressing room) at the moment, the guys are enjoying the moment, guys picking up Shamsi,” said South Africa skipper Bavuma. “Nail-biting finish, if you’re a South African fan, you’re a little bit happier with the outcome.”
Bavuma said slipping to 250/8 after looking comfortable at one stage was a problem of South Africa’s own making and added that they would need to address their issues.
“There’s obviously been pressure with us chasing,” he said. “We haven’t done well to rectify that. We’ll have conversations. It’ll be easier to have those conversations now with the win,” he added.
Pakistan were in trouble at 141/5 but Saud Shakeel (52) and Shadab (43) put together an 84-run stand with some powerful strokeplay to guide the 1992 champions to 270 all out in 46.4 overs.
Pakistan were undone at the end by the impressive Shamsi (4/60) and Gerald Coetzee (2/42), who dismissed the in-form pair, as they ultimately fell short of an imposing total when Mohammad Nawaz (24) threw his wicket away
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