Centurion [South Africa]: Babar Azam's stunning century and Mohammad Rizwan's classy fifty helped Pakistan complete their highest successful T20I run-chase with 12 balls to spare against South Africa in the third game here on Wednesday.
Pakistan defeated South Africa by nine wickets to take a 2-1 lead in the four-match T20I series.
The visiting captain struck 122 off just 59 balls (15 fours, 4 sixes) and shared a record 197-run opening partnership with vice-captain Rizwan, who ended unbeaten on 73 off 47 balls (5 fours, 2 sixes), as the tourists chased down 204 with two overs to spare.
Earlier, half-centuries by the in-form Aiden Markram (63 off 31 balls, 6 fours, 4 sixes) and Janneman Malan (55 off 40 balls, 5 fours, 2 sixes) provided South Africa with a strong start that put them on course for well beyond 200, before they tailed off slightly at the end.
And Pakistan then made merry at a venue they have not lost at so far on their tour, securing a key win that meant they now cannot lose the series with just one match to come on Friday.
The Asian side won the toss and opted to field first, but that looked a wrong call as Markram and Malan both flew out of the blocks.
The former scored his third successive half-century, with Malan going on to record his maiden 50 in the format in an opening stand that yielded 108.
George Linde, promoted to bat at three, clubbed 22 off 11 balls to maintain the momentum before he and Malan fell in quick succession.
That brought two new men to the crease in Rassie van der Dussen and skipper Heinrich Klaasen. The pair were not as free-scoring as the men before them, scoring 34 not out and 15 respectively, with Andile Phehlukwayo finishing the innings with 11 off eight balls.
The South African bowlers were then humbled by the incredible Babar and Rizwan as they attacked throughout.
They raised the 50 in the sixth over and the 100 in the 10th over, before beating the highest partnership total for any wicket of 143 between Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez against Zimbabwe at Harare in 2013.
Babar then went on to score his maiden ton, before taking that to the highest individual T20I score ever by a Pakistani.
He finally fell to Lizaad Williams (1/34) with seven to get and Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman (eight) carried their side home with 12 balls to spare.
J. Malan c Faheem Ashraf b Mohammad Nawaz 55
A. Markram b Mohammad Nawaz 63
G. Linde b Faheem Ashraf 22
H. van der Dussen not out 34
H. Klaasen b Hasan Ali 15
A. Phehlukwayo lbw b Shaheen Afridi 11
Extras (lb2, w1) 3
Total (5 wkts, 20 overs) 203
Did not bat: P. van Biljon, S. Magala, B. Hendricks, L. Williams, T. Shamsi
Fall of wickets: 1-108 (Markram), 2-141 (Linde), 3-143 (Malan), 4-164 (Klaasen), 5-203 (Phehlukwayo)
Bowling: Shaheen Afridi 4-0-39-1 (1w), Mohammad Nawaz 4-0-38-2, Hasan Ali 4-0-47-1, Haris Rauf 4-0-40-0, Faheem Ashraf 4-0-37-1
PAKISTAN
Mohammad Rizwan not out 73
Babar Azam c Klaasen b Williams 122
Fakhar Zaman not out 8
Extras (lb1, w1) 2
Total (1 wkt, 18 overs) 205
Fall of wicket: 1-197 (Babar)
Did not bat: Mohammad Hafeez, Haider Ali, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf
Bowling: Linde 4-0-38-0, Hendricks 4-0-55-0, Williams 4-0-34-1, Shamsi 3-0-39-0 (1w), Magala 3-0-38-0
Result: Pakistan won by nine wickets
Series: Pakistan lead the four-match series 2-1
Toss: Pakistan
Umpires: Bongani Jele, Allahudien Paleker (both RSA)
Television umpire: Adrian Holdstock (RSA)
Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)
Remaining match:
April 16, Centurion
