The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
That's all from this highly entertaining opening ODI. This is Dwaipayan Mukherjee, signing off on behalf of my co-commentator, Rajarshi Das. See you soon!
Mohammed Rizwan (Pakistan Captain) : If you look at how it all went, it was a team game. The spinners did well earlier and then later when the batters experienced a collapse, Agha played a mature knock. The ODI format allows us to make comebacks. They scored 70 runs in the powerplay but we always believed that we have it in us to make big changes. My theory is that I must keep the team together. We need the side to gel together and it will help us achieve big things in the future.
Aiden Markram (South Africa Captain) : Yeah, we felt that probably somewhere between 270-290 would have been more competitive. We were only at 80% with both bat and ball today. We will reflect and how we can get better for Cape Town. Some good signs with Klaasen producing that wonderful knock at the time that he had come in and both the opening bowlers did great. The fighting nature comes from the South African culture. Proud to be taking this down to the last over. The execution was great but we are confident of doing better.
Agha Salman has been adjudged Player Of The Match, and he says "I want to give this award to Saim Ayub!" Both players pose for photos.
Agha Salman: We were in a tricky position a thought of taking the game as deeply as possible, play normally and take 4-5 singles every over, hitting a boundary is good too. His (Saim Ayub's) knock set up the game. Had he not played that knock, we would not have won the game. He was there against the new ball, was running out of partners and the way he played and set the game, took 20 an over against the fast bowlers... we were behind the game at one point, but he took it deep and scored a hundred on this wicket. He deserves a man of the match.
Saim Ayub: It was very difficult, but we were four down. On this type of track you need to keep next level belief to chase a score down. When we were together, we kept calm. He's (Salman) more experienced than me, kept guiding me when to score run and what is our plans. That helped me a lot.
9:45 PM Local Time (1:15 AM IST) : Pakistan (242 for 7 after 49.3 overs) defeat South Africa (239 for 9 after 50 overs) by 3 wickets.
Pakistan get the win. It has been a special day for the visitors. Particularly, Salman Agha who has played a pivotal role in ensuring that Pakistan end up on the right side of the result.
Shafique departed early. There was plenty of movement from the hosts and numerous tentative shots as well from the Pakistan top order. But the Asian side weathered it all till the 15th over. Ottneil Baartman bowled 13 consecutive dot balls before he conceded any runs. Babar Azam miscued one to cover giving Baartman his rewards of keeping things very tight. Soon after, he cleaned up Rizwan for 1 reducing Pakistan to 52 for 3 in the 17th over.
A horrible mix up led to Kamran Ghulam going back as Pakistan slipped into deeper shadows. But the half-century stand came up in 63 balls between Saim Ayub and Agha Salman, setting up the match interestingly for the final 20 overs. There were plenty of confusion with the running but things changed when Baartman returned for his 2nd spell in the 35th over. Ayub pulled the first 3 balls for a couple of sixes and a boundary which sent the Pakistan fans at the stadium into a frenzy.
The century stand came up as well with the highly talented Ayub stitching together a truly commendable knock, ably supported by the calm and more experienced Salman Agha. The latter danced down the track and smashed Shamsi out of the park to bring up his half century off only 61 balls. Things got better for the visitors when Rabada returned for his 3rd spell in the 40th over and Ayub pulled him for a six to bring about a scintillating century under tough conditions.
There was a twist in the tale when Rabada struck twice in the 42nd over. Shamsi knocked over Shaheen as the home side came storming back into the contest. Agha kept it calm, he did not panic and hit a six in the 47th over which was also Shamsi's last over for the match.
This is Salman Ali Agha's highest ODI score after registering his best bowling figures earlier in the day. He did not lose his calm and quite deservingly, hit the winning runs. Tough to think there is any other candidate for the Player of The Match award. Presentations to follow soon.
49.3 Marco Jansen to Agha Salman, PAKISTAN SNEAK THROUGH! They left it late, really late for their fans' liking, but Agha Salman sticks around and gets the job done! Full from Jansen, he misses the yorker and lands this outside the line of off. Salman moves across and drills it past the right of the man at mid-off
2 runs needed from 4 balls! This is a cliff-hanger!
49.2 Marco Jansen to Agha Salman, direct hit would have been curtains for Naseem - again! Back of a length around off, Salman dabs it straight to the man at backward point. Naseem was off the blocks right away, had to turn back, there was no one at the stumps as the throw went at the bowler's. Naseem was nowhere in the picture!
49.1 Marco Jansen to Agha Salman, wide yorker, Salman moves well away trying to slice it away. Is far from making contact
2 runs needed from 6 balls : Jansen with the ball!
49
overs
238/7score
1
1
1
1
1
1
runs
Agha Salman*
78(87)
Naseem Shah
9(17)
Ottniel Baartman
2/37
48.6 Ottniel Baartman to Agha Salman, banged in short around middle, Salman moves across and pulls this towards deep fine. Retains strike with a single
3 runs needed from 7 balls with Agha on strike - What is he thinking? A single would be a great outcome for the batting side.
48.5 Ottniel Baartman to Naseem Shah, full, just outside off, Naseem forces this towards the man at mid-off. He was off for a single, a direct hit at the bowler's might have been curtains for him as Naseem tried to get out the way to avoid getting hit
4 runs to win from 8 balls - one wicket is what South Africa need.
48.4 Ottniel Baartman to Agha Salman, yorker on off stump from wide of the crease, dug out to the left of short fine. The batters get a single
48.3 Ottniel Baartman to Naseem Shah, back of a length outside off, Naseem stands tall and dabs it towards the left of deep third. Just a single
48.2 Ottniel Baartman to Agha Salman, full outside off, Salman has a hoick across the line. Doesn't get all of it, finds the man in the deep at wide long on. Just a single
48.1 Ottniel Baartman to Naseem Shah, back of a length outside off, Naseem moves across, dabs it to the left of the man at point, who gets his left palm to it but can't prevent the single
Ottneil Baartman [6.0-2-31-2] is back into the attack
Video
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M Jansen
S Ayub
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Agha Salman
*
Ottniel Baartman
Boland Park, Paarl
