Pakistan Vs South Africa Highlights, 3rd T20I: Babar Azam’s Fifty Seals Series Win For PAK

Hello, we’re back with another live blog, it’s Pakistan vs South Africa in the third T20I. Stay tuned for live updates.

The Pakistan vs South Africa 3rd T20I will begin at 8:30 PM IST, with the toss scheduled for 8:00 PM IST. The match will be live-streamed on the Sports TV YouTube channel.

Pakistan have won the toss and have opted to bowl first against South Africa.

Pakistan (Playing XI): Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Salman Agha(c), Usman Khan(w), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq

South Africa (Playing XI): Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock(w), Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis, Matthew Breetzke, Donovan Ferreira(c), George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Andile Simelane, Lizaad Williams, Ottneil Baartman

Pitchside check-in, and here’s what Urooj Mumtaz and JP Duminy have to say! It’s a brand-new surface tonight, though it looks a lot like yesterday’s. Change of pace worked wonders last night, especially from that tricky short length.

Batters, beware, you’ll need to mix things up, use the crease smartly, maybe even dance down the track if you want to stay on top of the bowlers.

We’re underway, Shaheen Afridi steams in with that trademark glare. First up, a tidy back-of-length ball outside off and de Kock plays it safe, solid in defence. But hold on, next one, GONE. Clean bowled. Shaheen knocks over de Kock’s stumps and lets out a roar.

Yesterday it was Reeza Hendricks gone for a second-ball duck, tonight, de Kock follows suit! South Africa lose their opener early, Shaheen drawing first blood right away. What a start from Pakistan’s spearhead.

Class from Reeza Hendricks. Shaheen pitches it on a good length, not exactly begging to be driven, but Hendricks just leans in, meets it with the full face, and times the life out of it. No power, just perfection. The ball rockets past mid-off and races away to the fence. Gorgeous cricket shot.

Breakthrough for Pakistan, and it’s Usman Tariq’s moment to remember! His maiden T20I wicket, and what a way to get it. Just his second ball, a clever googly that kicks up a touch more than Brevis expected. The pull goes horribly wrong, a top edge hanging in the air, and Babar Azam makes no mistake coming in from long-on.

The partnership’s broken, Tariq’s mobbed by his teammates, and Brevis walks back after a flashy 21. What a start for the youngster.

Bit of comedy in the field! Nawaz fires it full and straight, Ferreira whips it wide of long-on, Babar chases, dives, and tries a fancy flick back to Ayub, only to hit himself instead. The ball trickles away to the rope, and that’s four runs with a touch of slapstick. Absolute mess from the skipper, and Ferreira’s grinning.

Whoa, that’s massive! Shaheen goes short, and Simelane absolutely launches it, picks it up cleanly and sends it soaring into the stands. That’s a statement shot if there ever was one.

Shaheen’s on fire tonight! He’s been relentless, and now he gets his third. Williams, who just survived a ball ago, can’t ride his luck twice, tries to take him on, mistimes it, and Nawaz takes a sharp low catch. Pakistan erupt, Shaheen roars again, and Williams trudges off after a brief stay. Shaheen’s spell is pure class.

South Africa crawl to 139 for 9 after 20, another innings that never quite found its feet. Sent in to bat, they were rocked early as Shaheen Afridi ripped through the top order with two wickets in his very first over, setting the tone. Brevis and Hendricks tried to rebuild through the powerplay, but the momentum just never arrived.

Once the spinners got into the act, it all went downhill, two quick wickets in successive overs tightened the choke. Then Faheem Ashraf landed the killer blows, bagging two in one over to leave South Africa gasping at 76 for 6. From there, it was just a struggle to survive.

They limp to 139, a total that looks light, especially with dew expected later. Pakistan will fancy this chase, stay tuned, the reply’s coming up.

Welcome back, Pakistan begin their chase under the lights, and it’s Ferreira with the new ball. Sahibzada Farhan takes strike, and we’re underway!

First up, Ferreira fires in a yorker on off, dug out neatly by Farhan, who keeps it out. Another dot follows, but third time’s the charm! Ferreira floats one up, and Farhan steps into it, launching it clean and high over long-off for six! What a start, Pakistan wasting no time in making their intent clear.

Big wicket for South Africa! Ferreira keeps it flat and straight, Farhan tries to muscle the pull but doesn’t quite catch it clean. It sails toward deep mid-wicket, and Breetzke moves smoothly to his left to complete an easy grab. The early aggressor is gone for 19, and Ferreira gives South Africa just the spark they needed to stay in this contest.

Fifty up for Babar Azam, and what a way to bring it up! Baartman serves a half-volley outside off, and Babar unfurls a cover drive straight out of a dream. Ramiz Raja on air calls it “heavenly batting” and “magical theatre”, and he’s spot on. Pure timing, perfect placement, and the crowd’s absolutely losing it. Three exquisite strokes on the trot, each one better than the last. This is Babar at his most majestic.

40 - Babar Azam*
39 - Virat Kohli
37 - Rohit Sharma
31 - Mohammad Rizwan
29 - Jos Buttler
29 - David Warner

Babar Azam’s fluent fifty set up Pakistan’s four-wicket win as they chased down South Africa’s 139 to clinch the series. After Saim Ayub’s early exit, Babar steadied the innings with solid stands alongside Sahibzada Farhan and Salman Agha. Despite a few late hiccups, Pakistan stayed in control to secure back-to-back victories and wrap up the series.

That’s a wrap from us. Pakistan take the series with another composed chase, and we’ve had plenty of drama along the way. We’ll be back soon with another live blog, until then, take care and bye-bye.