Pakistan on Tuesday defeated South Africa by a narrow margin in the first One-Day International (ODI) at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.
As per the details, newly-appointed captain Shaheen Shah Afridi won the toss and chose to field first.
Batting first, South Africa posted 263 runs in 49.1 overs. The Proteas made a flying start with an impressive opening partnership headlined by veteran Quinton de Kock (63) and debutant Lhuan-dre Pretorius (57).
Captain Matthew Breetzke (42) and Corbin Bosch (41) added valuable runs in the middle order to lift the total.
Pakistani bowlers put up a strong attack with pacer Naseem Shah (3/40) and spinner Abrar Ahmed (3/53) in lead. Saim Ayub (2/39) chipped in to keep the visitors in check.
Chasing 264, Pakistan’s innings turned into a nerve-wracking affair. The top order provided a steady start with Fakhar Zaman (35), Saim Ayub (32) and Mohammad Rizwan (43) contributing useful runs, but wickets at key moments built pressure.
All-rounder Salman Ali Agha played a match-winning knock, anchoring the chase with a crucial 62 runs and guiding the tail through the tense final overs to take Pakistan home with just two balls to spare.
South African bowlers, led by Donovan Ferreira (2/53), fought hard to defend the total but couldn’t stop Pakistan from sealing a dramatic win.
This thrilling victory hands Pakistan an early lead in the ODI series.
The remainder of the series will be contested at the same venue. The second ODI is scheduled for Thursday, November 6, followed by the third ODI on Saturday, November 8.