ODI World Cup: Pakistan scored 270 runs against South Africa

Babar Azam won the toss and opted to bat first at the MA Chidambaram Stadium against South Africa. Pakistan named two changes to their side replacing Hasan Ali and Usama Mir with Mohammad Wasim Jr and Mohammad Nawaz. The Proteas named three changes to their side as skipper, Temba Bavuma replaced Reeza Hendricks while Tabraiz Shamsi and Lungi Ngidi replaced Lizaad Williams and Kagiso Rabada. Pakistan scored 270 runs in the first innings thanks to their skipper and Saud Shakeel scoring half-centuries. Here is a recap of the first innings.

Jansen strikes for South Africa in the powerplay

Marco Jansen started the innings by bowling a maiden over to Abdullah Shafique. Pakistan found a boundary each in the next three overs as both Imam-ul-Haq and Shafique hit a four each. Jansen drew the first blood by dismissing Shafique in the fifth over. The Pakistani opener was looking to play a pull while facing a back of the length but could only manage to find the fielder at deep backward square leg. 

Babar Azam got a friendly welcome with Jansen bowling two consecutive no-balls one of them going for a four. Lungi Ngidi too proved to be expensive in the following over leaking 10 runs after being hit for two boundaries. Jansen then picked up his second by dismissing Imam. Imam edged a wide delivery to Heinrich Klassen at gully. Mohammad Rizwan on the very first ball presented an opportunity for Jansen to get his third. Jansen deceived the Pakistani keeper with a slower ball who played it to the right of Jansen who could not hold on to the catch despite reaching the ball. Rizwan in the ninth over, completed his 2000 runs in ODIs with a four.

South Africa takes regular wickets

Keshav Maharaj and Aiden Markram bowled in tandem after the powerplay and kept things tight conceding just 19 runs in four overs (11-14). Gerald Coetzee came into the attack in the 16th over and immediately made an impact by dismissing Rizwan. Rizwan was the second Pakistani batter to be dismissed while playing the pull shot. Rizwan scored 31 runs in 27 balls hitting four fours and one six. After the wicket, the Proteas bowled a couple of quiet overs conceding just four runs in two overs. 

Babar broke the shackles by smashing Maharaj for a four in the 19th over. Iftikhar Ahmed too smashed Maharaj for a six in the 21st over. Maharaj continued to be expensive as Babar hit him for another six in the 23rd over. Tabraiz Shamsi making a return to the side was introduced in the attack in the 22nd over. The left-arm chinaman dismissed Iftikhar in his third over. Iftikhar was playing the lofted shot over the bowler’s head but mistimed his shot. Klassen from long-on sprinted to his left to complete the catch. Iftikhar scored 21 runs in 31 balls hitting a four and a six each. Babar completed his third fifty of the tournament in the following over. Shamsi picked up his second wicket after a successful review to dismiss the half-centurion in the 28th over. Babar scored 50 runs in 65 balls hitting four fours and one six. At the end of 30 overs, drinks were taken while Pakistan were struggling at 151-5.

Shadab and Shakeel start to accelerate

After a couple of quiet overs resulting in just six runs, Saud Shakeel and Shadab Khan decided to attack the South African spinners. Shakeel hit a four in the 32nd over off Shamsi’s bowling. Maharaj was reintroduced in the attack and was hit for a four and a six by Shadab in his first over of the spell. Shadab then hit Shamsi for a six in the following over. Shakeel hit a four off Maharaj’s bowling in the 35th over. Shamsi and Maharaj conceded 35 runs in four overs during this period. Coetzee replaced Shamsi in the 36th over but the pacer too went for runs and conceded nine runs in his first over. Shadab and Shakeel hit him for two fours in his second over of the spell. The South African pacer came back strongly to dismiss Shadab in the 40th over. Shadab scored 43 runs in 36 balls hitting three fours and two sixes. Shakeel completed his half-century in the 41st over. Mohammad Nawaz hit Coetzee for a six. Shamsi dismissed Shakeel in the 43rd over to restrict Pakistan to a low score.