Pakistan ended their tour of South Africa on a positive note, winning the third and final T20 in Centurion on Wednesday by 27 runs.
Pakistan recovered nicely to post a challenging total after tottering at 92-4 after 12 overs. Not a single Pakistan batsman made more than 30 but a collective effort ensured the visitors posted a decent target.
Leg-spinner Shadab Khan smashed there sixes in the final over of the innings to score a quickfire 22 off just eight balls and help post a total of 168-9.
That proved more than enough as left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir (3-27), Shadab (2-34) and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf (2-38) restricted South Africa to 141-9.
South Africa took the T20 series 2-1 to go with wins in the ODI and Test series. Here we take a look at how the final T20 unfolded.
HORROR RUN-OUT
OUT! Mix-up between Shoaib Malik and Hussain Talat... some confusion regarding who is actually run out here, turns out it is Shoaib Malik, the umpires finally come to a decision after almost 6 minutes of replays... Pakistan 92/4 in 11.2 overs #SAvPAK pic.twitter.com/QffbL2qqLY
— PakPassion.net (@PakPassion) February 6, 2019
Run-outs are never good. But when both batsmen are running towards the same end with at least one seemingly looking to save his wicket, it looks bad.
In the 12th over, Malik wanted a single off Tabraiz Shamsi but Hussain Talat didn’t. As the bails were dislodged at the striker’s end, both batsmen ended up sauntering to the non-striker’s end and it took the third umpire the best part of five minutes to adjudge captain Malik run-out.
SHADAB’S SPARK AT THE END
Pakistan were looking like posting just about 150, having stuttered to 147-9 with one over left. But most importantly, they had leg-spinner Shadab on strike.
With Andile Phehlukwayo bowling, there was no danger of getting hit on the body. So Shadab let loose and sent the seamer beyond the long-off and midwicket fence for a total of three sixes.
The target was 169 and it was game on as Pakistan had a 91 winning percentage while defending 150-plus totals in T20s.
PAKISTAN TIGHTEN THE NOOSE
Imad Wasim.
Pakistan once again opened the bowling with miserly left-arm spinner Imad Wasim – who had finished with record figures of 1-9 from his four overs in the previous match – and he delivered by picking up the wicket of opener Janneman Malan.
Returning pacer Amir accounted for the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen to leave the Proteas 30-3 in the eighth over.
No1 T20 TEAM MAINTAIN GREAT RECORD
Pakistan have an excellent record when it comes to defending targets in T20 matches. Whenever they have posted totals in excess of 150 in T20s, Pakistan had won 40 and lost just three matches, according to ESPNCricinfo.
Once Shadab had captain David Miller caught and bowled for 13 and dismissed the dangerous Andile for 10, it was game over despite a heroic 55 not out from Chris Morris.
Wednesday’s game was the 41st win for Pakistan while defending a target of more than 150.
