Pakistan crush Proteas to level T20I series in Lahore thriller

Pakistan fought back to draw level in the T20 International series against the Proteas with a commanding nine-wicket triumph at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Friday night, after the South African side failed to recover from the loss of four wickets in the PowerPlay.

Pakistan won the toss and chose to field. Their bowling attack had the visiting batters in heaps of trouble early on, targeting the stumps while extracting swing from the perfect line and length and changes in pace that flummoxed the SA players. 

Opening batter Reeza Hendricks was unable to repeat his heroics of the first T20, bowled through the gate for a duck by a late in-swinger from left-arm seamer Salman Mirza off the second ball of the innings. 

His opening partner, Quinton de Kock, also didn’t last long, caught for 7 after mistiming a Naseem Shah off-cutter to leave SA rocking on 12/2 in two overs. 

When Tony de Zorzi scooped a slow Mirza bouncer to short fine leg in the next over, the Proteas were even deeper in trouble at 15/3. Matthew Breetzke had a lucky escape, when he was dropped without scoring, trying to break the shackles of the Pakistan seam duo.

The young batter wasn’t able to make the most of that reprieve, however, when Mirza (3/3) castled his off-stump with another peach of a delivery that pitched on middle and beat the outside edge.

Dewalt Brevis finally gave the SA dressing room something to cheer with the first six of the innings that left the Proteas 31/4 after six PowerPlay overs. He also gave spinner Abrah Ahmed the treatment with a huge maximum, racing to 19 runs off 14 balls. The next six was even bigger. But there would be no further fireworks from the batting talent who holed out off the next Faheem Ashraf delivery, the rush of blood to the head proving costly.

SA were five down and in danger of being skittled for under a hundred, with skipper Donovan Ferreira and allrounder George Linde at the crease. A ferocious cut shot by the captain whistled to the boundary, and a pull shot a few balls later produced the same result. 

Proteas hopes of a fightback from the power hitter were, however, dashed the very next ball – an unwelcome trend during the calamitous SA batting innings – as Ferreira played on to a slower delivery by Ashraf.

Another off-cutter by the same bowler did for Linde in similar fashion with SA limping on 73/7 in the 12th over and the home crowd bouncing. Seven wickets soon became eight when allrounder Corbin Bosch departed. 

The Proteas eventually hobbled to 110 all out thanks to contributions by bowlers Ottneil Baartman, Nandre Burger and Lungi Ngidi.

Pakistan’s batters made light work of the run chase without much scoreboard pressure, reaching the target in the 24th over. Skipper Saim Ayub lead the charge for his team after a measured start as the Proteas’ bowlers were made to toil without much joy as the hosts ended the PowerPlay at 49/0. 

Speedster Bosch, who was the pick of the SA bowlers, trapped Sahibzada Farhaan lbw for 28 with a ball that jagged back in the next over – the only wicket to fall in the innings.   

Veteran Babar Azam, who has made a return to the Pakistan team, received a rousing welcome. But it was the Ayub show as the young skipper dispatched the SA bowling attack to all parts of the ground. His maiden T20I half-century included six boundaries and five sixes in a knock of 71. Azam also became the highest run-scorer in T20 Internationals with his contribution of  11.

The comeback by the home side sets up Saturday’s series decider at the same venue perfectly.

Scores
South Africa: 110 (Dewalt Brevis 28; Salman Mirza 3/14, Faheem Ashraf 4/23).
Pakistan: 112/1 ( Saim Ayub 71; Corbin Bosch 1/17 ).