Chennai, October 28: South Africa achieved their first win against Pakistan in 24 years during the 26th match of the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 in a thrilling encounter at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Chasing a modest chase, Aiden Markram’s resilient 91 paved the way for their thrilling one-wicket win.
The Proteas bowlers played a crucial role, restricting Pakistan to 270 runs in 46.4 overs, enabling South Africa to secure their fifth win in six matches and overtake India based on a better net run rate (2.032). Hue took himself to the top of the table. vs India’s 1.353), despite both teams having 10 points from five wins.
Markram’s brilliant innings of 91 off 93 balls, supported by vital contributions from David Miller (29), Temba Bavuma (28), and Rassie van der Dussen (21), took South Africa to 250/6 in the 41st over. However, Markram’s dismissal, caught by Babar Azam off Usama Mir, marked the beginning of a tense period where South Africa lost wickets rapidly.
The scoreboard read 260/9 and 11 runs were needed to win, with the last wicket pair of Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi at the crease. Enduring a challenging period against Pakistan’s fast bowlers, Maharaj’s boundary shots ultimately ensured a remarkable victory for South Africa.
The thrilling match ended with South Africa scoring 271/9 in 47.2 overs and winning the match by a narrow margin of one wicket. Despite Pakistan’s bowlers showing resilience in the final overs, the defeat marked their fourth defeat in the World Cup, significantly hurting their chances of progressing to the knockout stage.
Captain Babar Azam and middle-order batsman Saud Shakeel scored half-centuries in Pakistan’s innings. However, their efforts were weakened by strong bowling performances from South Africa’s Marco Johnson (3-42) and Tabrez Shamsi (4-60), restricting Pakistan to a modest total of 270.
South Africa’s determined chase and nerve-wracking finish secured a historic win, while Pakistan suffered a setback in their World Cup journey with defeat, affecting their chances for the next stage of the tournament.