LAHORE: Pakistan defeated South Africa by four wickets in the third and final Twenty20 international at Gaddafi Stadium here on Sunday night to win the three-match series 2-1. The win also makes Pakistan the first men’s team to reach a century of T20I wins. Chasing a target of 165, Pakistan romped home in 18.4 overs. Captain Babar Azam and opener Mohammad Rizwan were top scorers for Pakistan, scoring 44 and 42, respectively. Tabraiz Shamsi was the pick of the South African bowlers, taking four wickets, but it was not enough to save the Proteas from defeat as they crashed to their first T20I series loss on Asian soil. It was also their fourth successive T20I series loss, leaving them empty-handed from their first tour to the country since 2007. Pakistan won the first match by three runs while South Africa took the second match by six wickets, both played at the same venue.
Pakistan got off to a flying start with openers Rizwan and Haider Ali guiding the hosts to 51-0 after the first six overs. Shamsi got the breakthrough when he got rid of Ali with his first delivery of the match and dismissed Rizwan in his second over. Shamsi grabbed his third wicket in emphatic style when he bowled Hussain Talat (05) and got his fourth victim when he removed Asif Ali (07) on the halfway mark to leave Pakistan in a spot of bother at 112-4. Captain Babar then smashed 44 runs off 30 balls to take Pakistan near the target but it was left to the tail-enders to finish the job after the skipper lost his wicket. Mohammad Nawaz (18 not out) and Hasan Ali (20 not out) were at the crease when Pakistan reached the victory target with six balls remaining.
Earlier, David Miller had blasted an unbeaten 85 off 45 balls to lift South Africa to 164-8 in 20 overs. The Proteas batsmen again collapsed like a house of cards after Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl first in the decider. In a T20I World Cup year to be staged in India later this year Covid-19 permitting the Proteas team management will be worried as this loss was also a fourth series defeat in this format since Mark Boucher took over as head coach. The Proteas were beaten 2-1 at home against England in Boucher’s first T20I series and lost by the same margin to Australia before they were humiliated 3-0 at home against England late last year.
Reeza Hendricks (02) was first to make the walk back to the dugout and was soon followed by Jon-Jon Smuts (01) in the fourth over and Pite van Biljon (16) as the Proteas slumped to 41-3 at the end of the opening six power-play overs. Stand-in captain Heinrich Klassen (0) all-rounders Andile Phehlukwayo (0) and Dwaine Pretorius (09) offered very little and went out cheaply. Miller could only watch from the other end as established batsmen fell around him but he found some support from Pretorius and the pair put on a partnership of 17 off 20 balls. When Pretorius was dismissed after 10.4 overs the Proteas were staring down the barrel at 65-7 but Bjorn Fortuin joined Miller in the middle and the two put on the first meaningful partnership of the innings of 41 runs off 27 balls. The hard-hitting Miller found willing partners in Fortuin and Lutho Sipamla‚ who stitched together good partnerships of 41 off 27 balls and 58 off 30 balls respectively as the Proteas set Pakistan a respectable target of 170 to win. Miller was stranded on 85 with Sipamla not out on 08.