Pakistan collapse to lose game by 1 run

A dramatic collapse saw South Africa snatch victory when Pakistan were coasting towards their paltry target of 183.

Result: South Africa won by 1 run

Toss: South Africa won toss and decided to bat first

Teams:

Pakistan

Ahmed Shehzad, Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Amin, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan

South Africa

AB de Villiers (WK/Cpt), Graeme Smith, Colin Ingram, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, David Miller, Ryan McLaren, Wayne Parnell, Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Imran Tahir.

South African innings

After an exciting Test series, Sharjah was the venue for the 1st ODI between Pakistan and South Africa. AB de Villiers won the toss and had no hesitation in electing to bat first on what looked like an excellent track. Umar Akmal continued to keep wicket in this format as Pakistan went in with three left arm pacers in Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir and Mohammad Irfan. For South Africa, Dale Steyn was rested and Imran Tahir came in to the team after his impressive return to Test cricket.

Irfan gave the hosts a perfect start when he got the ball to rise outside Colin Ingram’s off stump and the thin edge was safely pouched by the keeper. JP Duminy and Graeme Smith began the South African recovery with the former in particular looking in excellent touch. With the score on 38/1 though, a short ball from Tanvir was pulled by the batsman straight to Umar Amin at square leg. When Saeed Ajmal was introduced into the attack shortly after, things really began to go wrong for the visitors.

In his second over, Misbah reviewed a caught behind appeal off Smith but the evidence wasn’t conclusive enough to overturn the decision. Three balls later, Smith played and missed again but dragged his foot out of the crease, allowing Akmal to complete a sharp stumping. In his next over, he trapped du Plessis LBW before claiming the big wicket of de Villiers. The South African captain chipped a doosra straight back to the bowler and Ajmal grasped it on his second attempt. The visitors had lost half their side for 63 runs in under 20 overs.

It took 26 overs for Shahid Afridi to have a bowl, but he struck immediately as McLaren gave him a soft return catch to send South Africa further into the mire. Miller and Wayne Parnell led a brief recovery before Afridi nipped out two in an over. First, he dismissed Miller with another caught and bowled and then a quicker one was too good for Morne Morkel.

Parnell and Tsotsobe did well to put on a crucial partnership of 52 which helped push the score beyond 180. Ajmal took his 4th of the innings and his 150th in ODIs when Parnell was caught at long on, and Sohail Tanvir ended the innings by foxing Imran Tahir with a slower ball.

South Africa were all out for 183 leaving Pakistan a relatively simple score to chase down in 50 overs.

Fall of Wickets:

1-0 (Ingram, 0.2 ov),

2-38 (Duminy, 9.1 ov),

3-48 (Smith, 12.5 ov),

4-54 (du Plessis, 14.6 ov),

5-63 (de Villiers, 18.2 ov),

6-86 (McLaren, 26.3 ov),

7-125 (Miller, 34.1 ov),

8-129 (Morkel, 34.5 ov),

9-181 (Parnell, 48.5 ov),

10-183 (Imran Tahir, 49.5 ov)

Pakistan innings:

A target of 184 appeared simple and given Pakistan's previous record in Sharjah, the home team were expected to chase this down without too many problems.

The 2 Pakistani openers - Ahmed Shehzad and Nasir Jamshed started in a slow fashion - the obvious intention to get settled in and build a foundation for later batsmen What they managed to do was to add pressure on themselves and Jamshed was the first one to crack under the pressure as he departed to a mistimed pull - 12 deliveries without scoring and Pakistan were feeling the pressure as Hafeez walked in.

For Hafeez the ODI Series was an opportunity to make a point against his detractors and he set about in a calm manner to rescue his reputation. South Africa for their part were applying a vice like grip until the introduction of Parnell and Tahir. Hafeez and Shehzad seemed to take a liking to both bowlers and the scoreboard was moving again. The 2 players proceeded to play some delectable shots before Hafeez was out to an innocuous looking - a fine partnership of 71 runs thus came to an end but Pakistan seemed to be on their way.

Captain Misbah-ul-Haq walked in to bring his years of experience to bear but Shehzad was not to be deterred in his run getting and duly reached his 50 but immediately after was involved in a horrific collision with Faf du Plessis. Luckily, he was able to recover and continue his innings. Whilst Shehzad seemed to have recovered from the knock, he seemed visibly shaken and a few deliveries later failed to execute a pull shot successfully and was caught for 58 - All three Pakistani batsmen thus falling to short balls.

With Umar Amin at his side, Misbah-ul-Haq then proceeded, as he usually does, to slowly chip away at the remaining target although he did help himself to a few boundaries at the expense of Imran Tahir! With time running out, and Pakistan looking well placed, Ab de Villiers brought in JP Duminy to see if he could dislodge any of the 2 batsmen. In the event, it was Wayne Parnell who seemed to be enjoying his day as he picked up the prize wicket of Misbah-ul-Haq. Out came Umar Akmal and immediately announced his return to the crease with a cracking four off Parnell. As it happened, this was the first of some brilliant stroke play by both young guns - the most memorable being the six by Umar Akmal off a bemused Morkel!

Umar Amin's stay at the crease looked full of promise until he edged one to the keeper and then the crowd erupted - and then went silent as Pakistan went from 164/4 to 174/7! Afridi came in and watched Umar Amin, Umar Akmal and Sohail Tanvir departed in quick succession. The shot selection diabolical – the panic palpable!

When Afridi also joined the procession trying to hit Imran out of the ground, the writing was on the wall. Ajmal and Irfan offered some hope to the last but it was not to be. Irfan's stumps were shattered with the last ball of the match as were millions of Pakistani hearts!

Fall Of Wickets:

1-4 (Nasir Jamshed, 4.4 ov)

2-75 (Mohammad Hafeez, 19.5 ov),

3-107 (Ahmed Shehzad, 27.5 ov),

4-135 (Misbah-ul-Haq, 35.5 ov),

5-165 (Umar Amin, 40.6 ov),

6-165 (Umar Akmal, 41.1 ov),

7-174 (Sohail Tanvir, 42.1 ov),

8-176 (Shahid Afridi, 43.2 ov),

9-177 (Wahab Riaz, 43.5 ov),

10-182 (Mohammad Irfan, 46.3 ov)

Summary

The word shocking is only begins to describe what happened here – but Pakistani batting imploded like only it can. There is work to be done for Misbah and Co here. No amount of nets can help them overcome the mental trauma of losing from such a position. Full marks to South Africa for staying the course but questions must be asked of the mental make up of Pakistani batsmen. The next game is in Dubai and Pakistan have a lot of work to do if they wish to make this series one to remember – for the right reasons.

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