Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha cracked centuries to guide Pakistan into the tri-series final with a thumping six-wicket win over South Africa in Karachi on Wednesday. Rizwan led Pakistan’s highest successful chase in all one-day internationals of 353 in 49 overs with an impressive 122 not out while Salman slammed 134 for his maiden century on the National Stadium. Pakistan will now face Recent Zealand at the identical venue on Friday in the ultimate of the event which is a key warm-up for the Champions Trophy which starts next week.
The a whole lot made by Rizwan and Salman overshadowed Matthew Breetzke’s record of scoring most runs by a batsman in his first two one-day internationals of 150 and 83.
Breetzke’s innings had arrange an imposing South Africa total of 352-5.
Rizwan and Salman built a match-changing stand of 260, a brand new record for the fourth wicket for Pakistan, improving on the 206 scored by Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan against India at Centurion in 2009.
Their blistering innings must also erase doubts over the team’s vulnerable batting as they improved on Pakistan’s previous highest successful chase of 349 against Australia in Lahore in 2022.
Rizwan hit nine boundaries and three sixes off 128 balls while Salman’s 103-ball knock had 16 boundaries and two sixes.
Earlier, Breetzke followed his highest-ever debut rating against Recent Zealand in Lahore on Monday with a lovely 84-ball 83, spiced with a six and 10 boundaries, after South Africa won the toss.
Breetzke bettered West Indian Desmond Haynes’s aggregate of 195 runs in his first two matches in 1978 before he fell to a superb catch off spinner Khushdil Shah.
Pakistan’s vaunted bowling attack did not stop the tourists from scoring an enormous total, with skipper Temba Bavuma (82) and Heinrich Klaasen (87) also chipping in.
With wickets not falling, frustrated Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi angrily clashed with Breetzke because the batsman attempted to finish a run.
Shaheen made physical contact and exchanged words along with his rival before umpire Asif Yaqoob separated the pair.
Bavuma and Tony de Zorzi (22), one in all 4 changes within the South African team, placed on 51 for the opening stand. The captain then built a second-wicket stand of 119 with Breetzke.
Bavuma was run out after cracking 13 boundaries in his 96-ball knock.
Klaasen lifted the tempo with a rapid 56-ball knock, smashing three sixes and 11 boundaries because the South Africans added 110 runs within the last 10 overs.
Kyle Verreynne and Corbin Bosch remained not out with 44 and 15 respectively to take South Africa past 350.
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