Kamran Ghulam played a swashbuckling knock at the back end of the innings to bolster Pakistan’s total to 329 in the second ODI of the three-match series against South Africa here at the Newlands here on Thursday.
Put into bat first, the green shirts got off to a dismal start to their innings as their opener Abdullah Shafique perished for a two-ball duck in the first over with just five runs on the board.
Following the early hiccup, star batter Babar Azam joined last-match centurion Saim Ayub (25) for a crucial 48-run partnership, lasted with the opener’s dismissal in the 10th over.
Babar was then joined by skipper Mohammad Rizwan in the middle and together they raised a match-defining 115-run partnership for the third wicket, which saw both the batters amassing their half-centuries.
All-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo eventually broke the threatening in the 33rd over by getting Babar caught at midwicket.
The star batter scored 73 off 95 deliveries with the help of seven fours.
Meanwhile, Rizwan was then involved in a brief 24-run partnership with Salman Ali Agha before falling victim to Kwena Maphaka in the 36th over.
The wicketkeeper batter remained the top-scorer for Pakistan with an 82-ball 80, laced with 10 boundaries including three sixes.
Coming out to bat at number six, Kamran took the reins of Pakistan’s batting expedition with a blistering knock.
The right-handed batter struck four fours and five sixes on his way to a 32-ball 63.
He was also involved in crucial partnerships with Salman Ali Agha (33), Muhammad Irfan Khan (15) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (16) before getting dismissed on the first delivery of the final over.
For South Africa, Maphaka led the way with four wickets, followed by Marco Jansen with three, while Bjorn Fortuin and Phehlukwayo, chipped in with a scalp apiece.
For the unversed, Pakistan lead the ongoing three-match series 1-0, courtesy of their hard-fought three-wicket victory in the opener on Tuesday.
Playing XIs:
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Rizwan (C/WK), Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
South Africa: Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (C), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Marco Jansen, Andile Phehlukwayo, Bjorn Fortuin, Kwena Maphaka, Tabraiz Shamsi