NEW DELHI: South Africa's cricket team, led by captain Temba Bavuma, managed to secure a heart-stopping one-wicket victory over Pakistan in an electrifying World Cup encounter. Bavuma candidly admitted the role of luck in their triumph, stating, "I do think we could have shown a lot more of a clinical display in going about that run chase. I think we did have luck on our side. We did give them opportunities to get into the game."
South Africa, initially looking poised for a comfortable win at 206/4, had been tasked with chasing down a formidable target of 271. However, Aiden Markram's dismissal for a spectacular 91 added suspense to the match and gave Pakistan a glimmer of hope.
Ultimately, it came down to the last pair at the crease, Keshav Maharaj (seven not out) and Tabraiz Shamsi (four not out), who held their nerves to score the last 11 runs, propelling South Africa to their fifth win in six games.
Bavuma aptly described the intense atmosphere during the match's closing moments, saying, "It was a little bit chaotic now with the guys jumping around. I think obviously at the end as well, we were all on the edge of our seats. I think you had everyone's opinions flying around as to how we should be going about that run chase. But at the end of the day, the guys who were in there, Keshav and Shamsi, did it for us."
Pakistan, having lost four out of six matches, now face a challenging path to reach the World Cup semi-finals. Their fate rests on winning their last three matches and hoping for favourable outcomes in other games.
1/10:World Cup: South Africa break Pakistan hearts with one-wicket win
PTI
2/10:South Africa edge past Pakistan
Aiden Markram's 91 guided South Africa to a one-wicket win against Pakistan.AP
3/10:Last pair heroics for South Africa
Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi scored the winning runs to seal a dramatic win for South Africa.PTI
4/10:Aiden Markram shines for South Africa
Aiden Markram's solid innings of 91 set the foundation for South Africa's successful chase.AFP
5/10:Pakistan's semis hopes in jeopardy
Pakistan's fourth consecutive loss put their chances of reaching the World Cup semi-finals in doubt.AP
6/10:South Africa top the points table
South Africa's win took them to the top of the World Cup table with 10 points from five wins.IANS
7/10:South Africa survive late jitters
South Africa managed to hold off Pakistan's late surge to secure a thrilling victory.Getty Images
8/10:Tabraiz Shamsi shines with four-for
Tabraiz Shamsi's impressive bowling figures of 4 for 60 restricted Pakistan to 270 all out.Reuters
9/10:Pakistan's Shakeel & Shadab provide resistance
Saud Shakeel and Shadab Khan's partnership of 84 runs lifted Pakistan's total after early setbacks.AFP
10/10:Maharaj and Shamsi hold their nerves
Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi kept their composure to guide South Africa to victory in a tense finish.APBavuma underlined the importance of wise decision-making in chasing targets and drew inspiration from the performances of South Africa's rugby team, the Springboks. The Springboks were on the verge of facing New Zealand in the rugby final in Paris.
Reflecting on their journey, Bavuma stated, "Looking at the quarterfinal, how they went about it there. Looking at the semifinal as well where they kind of came out of nowhere and won it for the team. I think that was quite inspiring and motivating for us as players to see how guys never gave up."
(With inputs from AFP)
