Shaheen Shah Afridi’s exceptional seam bowling propelled Pakistan to an 81-run triumph over South Africa in the second ODI at Newlands on Thursday. This victory secured Pakistan a 2-0 series lead, clinching it before Sunday’s final match in Johannesburg.
South Africa chose to field first, which proved costly on a pitch notorious for its challenging batting conditions under lights. Pakistan capitalized by setting a formidable target of 329. Captain Mohammad Rizwan led with a solid 80 off 82 balls, supported by Kamran Ghulam’s rapid 63 from 32 balls, which injected momentum into the innings.
Read: Kamran Ghulam Powers Pakistan to Set 330-Run Target Against South Africa
Contributions also came from Babar Azam, who scored 73 from 95 balls amidst South Africa’s fielding woes marked by numerous dropped catches and inconsistent bowling.
In the chase, Heinrich Klaasen’s valiant 97 from 74 balls was not enough as Pakistan’s bowlers dismissed South Africa for 248 in 43.1 overs. This win marked a milestone for Babar Azam, who, with his fifty, surpassed MS Dhoni’s record for most fifty-plus scores against SENA countries, achieving his 39th fifty-plus score, one more than Dhoni’s tally against South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia.
Previously tied with Dhoni at 38, Babar, a former captain with over 300 international matches and more than 14,000 runs, has significantly shaped his illustrious career with 31 centuries and 95 fifties.
