KARACHI: With an imposing 353 to chase, Pakistan had to come up with something special. A decent crowd had turned up here at the National Bank Stadium on Wednesday amid a celebratory atmosphere at the newly-upgraded venue, however, there was danger of the mood shifting if the hosts were unable to win the virtual semi-final of the tri-nation series.

Centuries by Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha ensured that it didn’t happen. The skipper and his deputy led from the front, helping their side to their highest-ever One-day International chase with reasonable ease to not only book their place in Friday’s final against New Zealand, but to restore the fans’ hopes into the side’s title prospects ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy.

Rizwan, who remained unbeaten on 122 off 128 balls with nine fours and three sixes, and Salman, who made 134 off 103, with 16 boundaries and a couple of sixes, combined for a total of 260 runs in 229 balls, as Pakistan crossed the finish line with six wickets and as many balls to spare.

Pakistan got off to a flying start as Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman powered to 57 off 37 balls. Babar closed the first over with a cut and flick for boundaries off Lungi Ngidi before Fakhar launched Corbin Bosch for a six over square-leg. Pakistan raced past 50 in just 32 deliveries.

The momentum was checked when Wiaan Mulder trapped Babar lbw for 23 off 19. Saud Shakeel attacked but fell in the deep off Bosch in the 10th over. Pakistan were still well-placed at 91-2, but Fakhar’s edge off Mulder to Kyle Verreynne for 41 off 28 (six fours, one six) in the 11th over put the hosts on the back foot.

With Pakistan three down, Rizwan and Salman started cautiously, managing just three boundaries until the 20th over. Their partnership reached 50 off 66 balls, and Pakistan crossed 150 by the 24th over. The pair then accelerated against spin, with Rizwan slog-sweeping Keshav Maharaj and Senuran Muthusamy in consecutive overs to reach his fifty and bring up their 100-run stand.

Salman raised his fifty in the 32nd over, bringing up Pakistan’s 200 before smashing Bosch through cover. He later took Pakistan past 250 with another cracking boundary. Boundaries came at regular intervals before Rizwan bludgeoned Mulder over midwicket for a six to reach his century in the 43rd over. Salman followed up with a single, completing both his hundred and the 200-run stand.

Salman, who had mostly relied on fours, finally struck his first six off Mulder over cover. He repeated the shot for four against Tabraiz Shamsi in the 48th over as the partnership crossed 250. Salman ended with a six off Ngidi before falling, leaving Tayyab Tahir to hit the winning runs.

Earlier, half-centuries by captain Temba Bavuma, newcomer Matthew Breetzke, and Heinrich Klaasen powered South Africa to their second-highest ODI total against Pakistan, as the hosts’ bowlers struggled to contain the visitors.

South Africa eased to 64 in the first 10 overs, with Bavuma and Tony de Zorzi setting a solid foundation. Without taking risks, they struck fluently until de Zorzi edged Shaheen Shah Afridi to first slip, where Salman took a regulation catch.

Breetzke, batting at number three after his debut 150 against New Zealand, resumed his form, hitting consecutive boundaries off Salman’s off-spin in the 13th over. He attacked Pakistan’s specialist spinner Abrar Ahmed for two more in the 16th, while Bavuma brought up his fifty in 56 balls. Bavuma was given a reprieve in the 20th over when Naseem Shah dropped a difficult skier, allowing South Africa to reach 128-1.

By the halfway stage, South Africa had crossed 150, with the Bavuma-Breetzke stand reaching 100, and the latter completing his half-century.

The match sparked to life in the 28th over when Breetzke aggressively raised his bat after a push, leading to a fiery exchange with Shaheen. The tension escalated as Breetzke shoulder-bumped Shaheen in his follow-through, forcing the umpires to intervene.

Perhaps unsettled, Bavuma (82 off 96, 13 fours) fell in the next over due to a mix-up with Breetzke. Sent back halfway down the track, he was run out by a direct hit from Saud, who celebrated passionately.

Klaasen wasted no time stabilising the innings. In the 34th over, he hammered four boundaries off Mohammad Hasnain, bringing up South Africa’s 200.

After Bavuma, Breetzke also missed out on a ton. On 83 off 84 (10 fours, one six), he charged down to Khushdil Shah in the 39th over, only for Salman to pluck a stunning one-handed catch at short cover. An over later, Babar took a sharp catch at point to dismiss Mulder off Shaheen.

Klaasen continued his assault, launching Khushdil for a towering six before reaching his 10th ODI half-century in 38 balls. Two back-to-back sixes off Shaheen in the 46th over took South Africa past 300. However, Klaasen (87 off 56, 11 fours, three sixes) fell short of a century, holing out to long-on off Naseem.

A costly final over by Hasnain, featuring a six and a four by Bosch and another maximum by Verreynne, lifted South Africa to what seemed to be a formidable total until Rizwan and Salman made it look easy.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA: T. Bavuma run out Saud 82 T. de Zorzi c Salman b Shaheen 22 M. Breetzke c Salman b Khushdil 83 H. Klaasen c Shaheen b Naseem 87 W. Mulder c Saud b Shaheen 2 K. Verreynne not out 44 C. Bosch not out 15 EXTRAS (B-4, LB-7, NB-1, W-5) 17 TOTAL (for five wickets, 50 overs) 352 FALL OF WICKETS: 1-51 (de Zorzi), 2-170 (Bavuma), 3-238 (Breetzke), 4-241 (Mulder), 5-319 (Klaasen) DID NOT BAT: S. Muthusamy, K. Maharaj, L. Ngidi, T. Shamsi BOWLING: Shaheen 10-0-66-2 (2w), Naseem 10-0-68-1 (2w), Abrar 10-0-63-0, Hasnain 8-0-72-0 (1w, 1nb), Salman 5-0-33-0, Khushdil 7-0-39-1

PAKISTAN: Fakhar Zaman c Klaasen b Mulder 41 Babar Azam lbw Mulder 23 Saud Shakeel c Mulder b Bosch 15 Mohammad Rizwan not out 122 Salman Ali Agha c Verreynne b Ngidi 134 Tayyab Tahir not out 4 EXTRAS (B-1, LB-7, NB-1, W-7) 16 TOTAL (for four wickets, 49 overs) 355 FALL OF WICKETS: 1-57 (Babar), 2-87 (Saud), 3-91 (Fakhar), 4-351 (Salman) DID NOT BAT: Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed BOWLING: Ngidi 9-0-74-1, Bosch 8-0-70-1 (1w), Mulder 10-1-79-2 (4w, 1nb), Shamsi 9-0-53-0 (1w), Maharaj 10-0-54-0, Muthusamy 3-0-17-0 RESULT: Pakistan won by six wickets. PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Salman Ali Agha

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2025