In the decisive third One Day International (ODI) played at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium, Pakistan triumphed over South Africa, securing a comfortable victory and claiming the series 1-2.
Chasing a target of 144 runs, Pakistan completed the chase in just 26 overs with the loss of only three wickets. Mohammad Rizwan remained unbeaten on 32, alongside Salman Ali Agha, who also stayed not out on 5.
The star performer with the bat was Saeem Ayub, who played a stunning knock of 77 runs, including 1 six and 11 boundaries. Babar Azam contributed a steady 27 runs, while Fakhar Zaman was dismissed for a duck.
Earlier, South Africa, winning the toss, opted to bat first but fell to Pakistan’s impressive bowling attack, getting bowled out for a mere 143 runs in 37.5 overs.
Quinton de Kock, who had scored a brilliant century in the second ODI, was the top scorer for South Africa with 53 runs. Johan de Preez added 39 runs, while Peter and Matthew Brtiz contributed 16 runs each.
Pakistan’s bowlers were exceptional, with Abrar Ahmed leading the charge, claiming four wickets. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Agha, and Mohammad Nawaz each picked up two wickets.
For the third ODI, Pakistan made two changes, bringing in Abrar Ahmed and Haris Rauf in place of Naseem Shah and Mohammad Wasim Jr.
Notably, Pakistan had won the first ODI, while South Africa claimed victory in the second match. With this win, Pakistan sealed the series in their favor.
