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SA vs PAK 3rd ODI Highlights: Saim Ayub Ton, Muqeem’s Brilliant Debut Give Pakistan 3-0 Sweep

Aakash Saini∙ Updated: Dec 23 2024, 9:01 AM

Pakistan completed a 3-0 sweep over South Africa [Source: @ICC/x]Pakistan completed a 3-0 sweep over South Africa [Source: @ICC/x]

Pakistan consigned hosts South Africa to their first-ever ODI whitewash at home with a win in the third match at the iconic Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on December 22. Saim Ayub punched out his third ODI century after the match was reduced to a 47-overs-a-side affair due to a delayed start and rain interruptions.

Here’s the timeline of how SA vs PAK panned out in Johannesburg:

SA vs PAK Highlights: Saim Ayub Steadies Pakistan Start With Babar, Rizwan

Pakistan opener Abdullah Shafique fell to his third straight duck, this time falling to Kagiso Rabada on his first ball of the match. With Pakistan one-down within the first over, senior man Babar Azam consolidated his team’s faltering start with a steady 114-run partnership for the second wicket with Saim Ayub.

Babar notched up 52 fine runs from 71 balls before he was bested by South Africa’s 18-year-old pace prodigy Kwena Maphaka. Ayub, well-set at this stage, shared another 93 runs with number four batter and captain Mohammad Rizwan to take Pakistan past the 200-run mark. Rizwan also brought up his half-century, albeit at better than a run-a-ball, while Ayub hauled his third ODI century and his second of the series.

SA vs PAK Highlights: Agha Salman Fends Off South African Fightback

Mere moments after reaching his century, Saim Ayub edged one towards Heinrich Klaasen to give South African debutant Corbin Bosch his first wicket of the day at 208-3 in 35 overs.

Proteas spinner Bjorn Fortuin seized his team’s newfound momentum with two more quick wickets, including that of a well-settled Rizwan as Pakistan slipped to 223-5 a couple of overs later in the innings.

Agha Salman fended off South Africa’s rising rebellion with a fiery 48-run cameo from just 33 balls. The Pakistani all-rounder whacked three boundaries and two sixes, before death-overs breakthroughs from Kagiso Rabada (3-56) and Marco Jansen (2-58) restricted the ‘Men in Green’ to 308-9 from 47 overs.

SA vs PAK Highlights: South Africa Lose Five Of Top 6 Batters By 20 Overs

Pakistan new ball operators Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi accounted for a South African opener each by the time the Proteas reached 44 in 6.3 overs. Aiden Markram (19 off 27) and Rassie van der Dussen (35 off 52) further failed to convert their starts as the two cricketers were dismissed by left-arm spinner Sufiyan Muqeem and 24-year-old quick Mohammad Hasnain respectively.

David Miller scored just three upon his arrival as his attempted lap sweep was pre-meditated by Pakistan wicketkeeper and captain Mohammad Rizwan off an economical Saim Ayub (1-34 from 10 overs). At this stage, the hosts slumped to 123-5 in 20.5 overs to make a tall chase seem even more daunting.

SA vs PAK Highlights: Lone Man Klaasen Falls In Decisive Stage

Heinrich Klaasen kept the South African run-chase response rolling from his end with a flurry of 12 boundaries and two sixes. The lanky wicketkeeper-batter clobbered 81 runs from just 43 deliveries to top-score for his side as the home crowd entertained prospects of an unlikely victory during his stay at the crease.

However, Klaasen’s hour of resistance came to a conclusion at 194-6 in 28.4 overs by Shaheen Afridi, who stunned the hosts by picking up his second wicket of the evening. Pakistani debutant Sufiyan Muqeem added three more to his tally after his early breakthrough to finish with impressive figures of 4-52 from eight overs.

Corbin Bosch’s late hitting delayed the inevitable before the South Africans rolled up for 271 to fall 36 runs short of their target (DLS method).

With Pakistan players rejoicing in victory, the ‘Men in Green’ also consigned the Proteas men to their first-ever ODI whitewash at home, while visiting captain Mohammad Rizwan recorded his second straight ODI series win in SENA countries after Australia triumph.