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"We are missing…": Salman Agha assesses why Pakistan lost 1st T20I vs South Africa

Arunima Purohit

Agha Salman [Source: AFP]Agha Salman [Source: AFP]

South Africa's white-ball team has become invincible recently. After winning two historic series against England and Australia, they defeated Pakistan in their home ground in the first T20I match. Thanks to George Linde, South Africa won the game by a considerable margin of 55 runs. The hosts were visibly disappointed with their performance, as several mistakes were made throughout the match. 

Salman Agha decodes reason for Pakistan's defeat vs SA

Pakistan's captain, Salman Agha, was quite unhappy with the team's performance. He spoke about the batting, bowling, and the 'failed partnerships', which were the reasons behind the defeat. After the opening pair started well, the wickets kept falling at regular intervals. South Africa's Corbin Bosch and Linde didn't allow the batters to settle down throughout the game. Together, they claimed seven wickets, which was the main reason behind the hosts' downfall. 

"We didn't start well with the ball, but we pulled things back. With the batting, we are losing wickets quickly, and we need to have a quick turnaround. We just need to bat properly, do singles and doubles and build partnerships. We are missing partnerships. If we have partnerships, we can chase such totals. We didn't bowl well in the powerplay. Bowling top of off stump would've been good enough, but the positive is how we pulled it back later," said Agha at the post-match presentation.

Can South Africa seal the T20I series in Pakistan?

For a long time, the South African cricket team struggled to win games in their own backyard, often being perceived as a weak team. However, the tables have turned for the Proteas. First, they won the ODI series against Australia, then the ODI series against England, and now they have started the T20I series against Pakistan on a winning note. 

With new faces in the team, the Proteas have done really well in the white-ball series. Hence, there are high chances that the visitors will take the T20I series home. Moreover, with Pakistan struggling to score runs, South Africa might also win the ODI series.