Some timely lusty hitting from Muhammad Nawaz and Hasan Ali helped Pakistan overhaul South Africa’s modest total of 164-8 in 18.4 overs in the third T20I of the three match series and make South Africa taste first-ever series loss in the sub-continent at the Gaddafi stadium here on Sunday.
Pakistan needed 28 runs of the last three overs when Faheem Ashraf fell off the bowling of Bjorn Fortuin in the 17th over with total at 6-137 but Hassan Ali played a blitz scoring 20 of 7 balls laced with 2 towering 6s and a 4 to save any further jitters. Muhammad Nawaz for his all-round performance was adjudged player of the match.
Keeping in mind the pitch conditions, both the teams fielded three spinners in their sides with Pakistan making three changes while the Proteas played Bjorn Fortuin in place of Glenton Stuurman who had debuted in the second match of the series. Pakistan played Asif Ali, Hasan Ali in place of Iftikhar Ahmed and Haris Sohail while Zahid Mahmood debuted replacing Khushdil Shah.
The teams had read the pitch well as 11 wickets out of the 14 wickets were claimed by spinners in the match. Tabraiz Shamsi and debutant Zahid Mehmood were the most successful bowlers on the day.
Pakistan had started well in the chase of 165 runs with an opening partnership of 51 runs in the power-play before Haider Ali fell to the first ball of Tabraiz Shamsi spell. Muhammad Rizwan 42 (30) was once again reliable and continued with his good form before he became the second victim of Shamsi who bowled an inspired spell of spin bowling.
Babar Azam, who had demoted himself to No. 3 in this match, regained his form and played a stroke-laden innings of 44 (30) before he fell to an inside edge off the bowling of all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius with Pakistan well placed at 4-112 in the fourteenth over. Asif Ali 7 (8), who was playing his first match of the series, could not impress and became the fourth victim of the guile of Tabraiz Shamsi. Faheem Ashraf fell cheaply as well when he failed clear the boundary at long on only to provide Fortuin his first and only wicket in the match.
Tabraiz Shamsi, with bowling figures of 4-25, was the pick of bowlers who wove a web of magical spin bowling which enticed the batsmen into the land of no return. Haider Ali was the first victim of Tabraiz Shamsi when he played all over a flighted ball which turned massively to hit the leg-stump and Muhammad Rizwan went for a sweep, a stroke which he played so well throughout the series, on another flighted delivery and was adjudged lbw by umpire Aleem Dar. Rizwan reviewed the decision in the hope the ball turned too much to hit the stumps but his hopes were dashed when the umpire’s call was retained. Hussain Talat became third victim of Shamsi when he was deceived with another flighted delivery which kept straight.
Bjorn Fortuin, who had replaced Stuurman, returned with figures of 1-30 in his four overs while Dwaine Pretorius The decimator-in-chief against Pakistan in the second T20I of the series, got the prized scalp of Babar Azam once again but was costly today and conceded 33 runs in three overs. Andle Phehlukwayo was wayward and conceded 37 runs in 2.4 overs he bowled. JJ Smuts gave away 20 runs in three overs while Sipamla cost 23 runs in two overs he bowled in the match. Phehlukwayo conceded 20 runs in the 19th over of the innings including a 6 off a waist-high no-ball while Hasan Ali also hit a 6 to record a series win South Africa.
Earlier, David Miller pummeled Pakistani bowlers to all parts of the park to power South Africa to a formidable total of 164-8 after they were reduced to 6-48 in 7.2 overs. The top-order South African batsmen failed to deal with the leg-spin bowling of debutant Zahid Mahmood and left-arm orthodox Muhammad Nawaz as five of the first six wickets fell to the spin-bowling duo. Zahid Mahmood returned the match figures of 3-40 off four overs while Muhammad Nawaz earned two scalps in his two overs. Hassan Ali, who was playing first match of the T20Is series, picked two wickets in his spell of four overs for 29 runs. The other leg-spinner Usman Qadir claimed one wicket for 12 runs in two overs.
Faheem Ashraf, who had conceded only13 runs in his first two overs, was put to the cleaners by Miller again in the last over the innings when he plundered 25 with four 6s to. What bamboozled one was captain’s preferring Faheem bowl the last over to Usman Qadir and Muhammad Nawaz who had left three over between them.
David Miller put Pakistani bowlers through the mill in an innings of 85 runs off 45 balls laced with seven 6s and five 4s and helped his team post a total of respectability after they were reduced to 6-48 in the seventh over into the match. The power hitting can be assessed from the fact that Miller scored 62 of the 85 runs in boundaries. David Miller accumulated 58 runs for the 9th wicket partnership with Lutho Sipamla who scored 8 runs off 10 balls.
However, Millers exploits remained futile as Pakistan reached the target with eight balls to spare and the South Africans tasted first T20I series loss in the sub-continent conditions.
Pakistan’s win against South Africa is there 100th T20I victory in 163 matches so far while Pakistan is also the first country in the international cricket to record the 100th win.
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