An imposing century from skipper Babar Azam spurred Pakistan to grab a last-ball, three-wicket win over South Africa within the first one dayer of a three-match sequence on Friday.
Babar scored 103 off 104 balls to put the muse for his aspect’s success on the Centurion as Pakistan scored 274-7 in reply to South Africa’s 273-6.
Rassie van der Dussen hit an unbeaten 123 for the house aspect after they have been put into bat however his efforts proved to be in useless.
Azam featured in a 177-run partnership for the second wicket with opener Imam-ul-Haq, who scored 70.
The 26-year-old Azam produced a shocking array of strokes to stress his rating as one among cricket’s prime ODI batsmen.
The pair appeared to have taken the sport away from South Africa, though three fast wickets for Anrich Nortje put a short lived brake on Pakistan’s march as they slumped from 186-2 to 203-5.
Forty runs for Mohamed Rizwan and Shadab Khan’s 33 put them again in cost and Pakistan wanted simply three runs off the final over to win.
But they made heavy climate of securing success earlier than Faheem Ashraf safe a single off a large supply to safe victory.South Africa struggled initially and had been lowered to 55-4 earlier than Van der Dussen and David Miller placed on a 116-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
It ended when Miller went tamely after a brisk 50 off 56 balls however Van der Dussen and his subsequent two companions — Andile Phehlukwayo and Kagiso Rabada — added 102 extra runs off the final 14 overs to set an honest goal.
The subsequent ODI can be performed in Johannesburg on Sunday.
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