Pakistan Defeated South Africa By 81 runs in the second ODI at Newlands to seal the three-match series. An impressive performance with both bat and ball ensured the visitors maintained their dominance of the tournament, leaving South Africa with a lot to think about ahead of the final at Wanderers Stadium.
Excellent batting show in Pakistan
After being asked to bat first, Pakistan posted a total of 329 runs, thanks to the contributions of their key players. Despite losing opener Abdullah Shafiq for an early duck, Pakistan settled their innings with a 95-ball 73 from Babar Azam. His elegant batting style, coupled with Mohamed Rizwan's power packed 80 off 82 balls, laid a strong foundation.
Kamran Ghulam stole the show with a stunning knock of 63 runs off just 32 balls, including 4 fours and 5 sixes. His late-innings fireworks propelled Pakistan to a massive total.
For South Africa, Kwena Mafaka was the standout player, taking four wickets for 72 runs. Marco Janssen also impressed with figures of 3/71, while Björn Fortuyn scored a wicket.
South Africa's response falters
In response, South Africa's chase got off to a shaky start, losing Temba Bavuma (12) and Tony De Zorzi (34) relatively early. Heinrich Klaasen was the lone warrior for the Proteas, smashing a scintillating 97 off 74 balls, including 8 fours and six sixes. His powerful knock gave South Africa a glimmer of hope, but the lack of support from other batsmen proved costly.
David Miller added 29 off 39 balls, while Aiden Markram made 21 off 30. However, the rest of the line-up crumbled under the pressure of a steep target. the The Proteins were bowled out for 248 runs in just 43.1 overs.
Left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi led Pakistan's attack with a sensational four-wicket haul, conceding just 47 runs in eight overs. Naseem Shah was equally effective, taking three wickets for 37 runs. Abrar Ahmed made crucial breakthroughs in the middle overs, finishing with figures of 2/48, while Agha Salman added a wicket to his name.
Pakistan registered a comprehensive win over South Africa in Cape Town
Scorecard: https://t.co/JmZtD8q9UH#savpak #ODI #cricket pic.twitter.com/3exwGnC739
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) December 20, 2024
Player of the match
Kamran Ghulam was deservedly named Player of the Match for his explosive batting that turned things around in Pakistan's favour. His ability to speed up scoring in the death overs proved to be a game-changer.
Series overview
With this win, Pakistan took a 2-0 lead in the series. They had earlier won the first ODI by three wickets, and their focus now turns to the third and final match at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday, December 22. South Africa will aim to salvage some pride, while Pakistan will look to complete a clean sweep.
Pakistan 🇵🇰 in ODI cricket recently:
Fifth ODI series win on the trot
5th ODI series win against SENA in the last 3 and a half years
Defending the Champions Cup #PACVSA #PACVSA #savpak pic.twitter.com/cvAskUdQUJ— The Crypto Ordinary Citizen 🍁 (@FreddieFaizaan) December 20, 2024
