‘Aaj to kismat hi inke saath nhi thi’ – Fans react as South Africa beat Pakistan by 1 wicket in a nail biting thriller in Chennai

In the 26th match of the ODI World Cup 2023, South Africa beat Pakistan by 1 wicket. In a nail-biting thriller, spinner Keshav Maharaj smashed winning runs after Usama Mir and Shaheen Shah Afridi clinched quick wickets to push South Africa back in the run chase. Aiden Markram has been the highest run scorer for Proteas.

Earlier, after winning the toss, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam opted to bat first. His decision didn’t go well with the team, as Marco Jansen dismissed both openers in quick succession. Abdullah Shafique scored nine runs, while Imam-Ul-Haq scored 12 runs for Pakistan. After their departure, skipper Babar Azam and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan added 48 runs for the third wicket.

Rizwan, in his inning, scored 31 runs off 27 balls with the help of four fours and a six. He was dismissed by Gerald Coetzee. However, after that, Iftikhar Ahmed tried to rescue Pakistan by adding 43 runs for the fourth wicket with Babar. Soon, both Babar and Iftikhar threw their wickets after a great start. Babar scored his second consecutive half-century, while Iftikhar scored 21 runs.

In the end, Saud Shakeel and Shadab Khan added 84 runs for the sixth wicket and helped Pakistan cross 250 runs. Shakeel in his innings scored 52 runs off 52 balls with the help of seven boundaries, while Shadab in his innings scored 43 runs off 36 balls with the help of three fours and two sixes. For South Africa, spinner Tabrez Shamsi clinched four wickets, while Marco Jansen got three.

Aiden Markram shined in the tricky run chase at Chepauk

Chasing a tricky total, South Africa had a poor start as pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed opener Quinton de Kock for a mere 34 runs. Meanwhile, skipper Temba Bavuma also threw his wicket after forming a 33-run partnership with Rassie Van der Dussen. Bavuma in his innings scored 28 runs off 27 balls with the help of four fours and a six, while De Kock in his innings scored 24 runs off 14 balls with the help of five boundaries.

After their departure, Van der Dussen and Aiden Markram added 54 runs for the third wicket. Van der Dussen, in his inning, scored 21 runs off 39 balls. Soon, South Africa lost in-form batter Heinrich Klaasen too. The team was struggling to form a partnership when Markram and David Miller added 70 runs for the fifth wicket. Miller, in his inning, scored 29 runs off 33 balls with the help of two fours and two sixes.

In the end, Usama Mir and Shaheen Afridi dismissed Aiden Markram, Gerald Coetzee, and Lungi Ngidi in quick succession and made the game a thriller. Markram, in his inning, scored 91 runs off 93 balls with the help of seven fours and three sixes. A fighting knock from Keshav Maharaj helped South Africa continue their winning run. Meanwhile, this defeat virtually knocked Pakistan out of the tournament.

Here is how fans react to South Africa’s victory: