Pakistan vs South Africa | South Africa tour of Pakistan, 2025 | 1st ODI

That is all from this game. A thrilling start to the series. South Africa will hope to level the series in the next game. Join us on the 6th of this month at 10 am GMT. Do join us earlier for the build up. Till then, cheers!

Pakistan's skipper, Shaheen Afridi says it was a normal game for him, nothing special. Tells that they expected dew to play its part but the conditions totally changed, and credits the batters for handling it well. Mentions Agha and Mohammad Rizwan showed their experience on a tough surface. Ends by appreciating the crowd's support.

Matthew Breetzke, the skipper of South Africa feels they were 20-30 runs short. Tells there are a lot of positives, Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Quinton de Kock batted really nicely at the top. Reckons Pakistan were favourites towards the end but he is proud of his bowlers to take the game deep.

Salman Agha IS THE PLAYER OF THE MATCH. He says he would have finished the game but overall great win for them. Tells he was expecting dew to play its part but there was no due and the ball was turning and keeping low. Shares that they lost 2-3 quick wickets and needed a big partnership. Reckons that they took on loose deliveries and respected good bowlers.

...Presentation...

Earlier in the game, South Africa started strongly with a 98-run opening partnership, but lost momentum after the fall of their openers. The team struggled to build significant partnerships, and their innings unraveled. Pakistan's Saim Ayub and Abrar Ahmed were standout bowlers, with Ayub taking crucial wickets and Abrar claiming 3 important scalps.

South Africa's pacers had a strong start, but the team soon shifted gears with their spinners, who exploited the favorable conditions. Donovan Ferreira, Bjorn Fortuin, and George Linde delivered an impressive performance, yet Pakistan's batters proved resilient, forging crucial partnerships that ultimately secured their win.

In the chase, Pakistan's openers sparked a strong start, adding 87 runs together. Although Azam fell cheaply, Rizwan and Agha steadied the ship with a 91-run partnership. However, Pakistan's momentum wavered when they lost a couple of wickets in quick succession, with Agha's dismissal adding a twist to the tale. It got a bit more dramatic as Pakistan continued to lose wickets but with runs needed in single-digits, they crossed the line.

What initially seemed like a comfortable win for the home team turned into a nail-biting finish, making for an electrifying contest. A thrilling victory nonetheless for Pakistan, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series. South Africa will be happy to take the game down to the wire. Maybe another 10-20 runs would have helped them change the story of the game.

Pakistan now requires 4 off the final over. Corbin Bosch will be bowling the final over of this contest. Matthew Breetzke had the option to bowl Lungi Ngidi as well. Ngidi was bowling excellent slower cutters but MB decides to go with Corbin.