Faisalabad — The third and final match of the ODI series between Pakistan and South Africa was highlighted by two significant milestones: South African batter Quinton de Kock achieved a landmark while Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed delivered a destructive bowling performance.
In the thrilling decider played at Iqbal Stadium, South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first.
Quinton de Kock’s Historic Record:
- Quinton de Kock started strongly, completing his half-century with a spectacular display, scoring 53 runs off 70 balls, including 7 fours and a six.
- With this innings, de Kock completed 7,000 runs in ODI cricket.
- He became the second-fastest player in the world to achieve this feat, reaching the milestone in just 158 innings. He trails only his former teammate Hashim Amla, who did it in 150 innings.
Abrar Ahmed’s Devastating Spell:
Despite de Kock’s excellent innings, the South African side failed to reach a high total, largely due to the brilliant bowling of national spinner Abrar Ahmed.
- Abrar Ahmed demonstrated exceptional control, taking 4 wickets for just 27 runs in his 10 overs.
- His performance helped restrict the visiting team to just 143 runs in 37.5 overs.
- With this stellar display, the 27-year-old spinner also crossed the 100-wicket mark in his international career. Debuting in 2022, Abrar has now claimed 46 wickets in Tests, 25 in ODIs, and 31 in T20s.
Pakistan’s Comfortable Victory:
Chasing the modest target, Pakistan easily secured the victory by scoring 144 runs with the loss of just 3 wickets. Saim Ayub was the top scorer for Pakistan with a brilliant inning of 77 runs off 70 balls, while Mohammad Rizwan scored 32 and captain Babar Azam contributed 27 runs.
