Champions Trophy: Pakistan defeat South Africa - Three key turning points

Jaideep Marar 08:39 08/06/2017
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  • Imad Wasim celebrates after dismissing key man Hashim Amla.

    Pakistan put in a top performance to get the better of South Africa by 19 runs (DLS method) at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

    Here, we look at three important moments from the match.

    IMAD’S BIG SCALP

    Imad Wasim, after a poor showing against India in which he went wicketless for 66 runs from his eight overs, bounced back strongly in his first over on Wednesday.

    The left-arm spinner picked up the prized scalp of Hashim Amla with his second delivery of the match when the prolific South African run-getter missed a straight ball while trying to get a single and was trapped lbw.

    Amla’s wicket was huge because not only was he the in-form batsman (he had scored 103 in the previous game against Sri Lanka) but also the best player of spin in the entire Proteas line-up. With Amla gone early, Pakistan’s tails were up and their bowlers made it count.

    HASAN GETS TWO IN TWO

    Pakistan really needed to come up with a sterling bowling display if they were to contain a strong South African batting line-up, and while the spinners helped the Green Army wrestle the initiative, they were still not in the clear.

    Fast bowler Hasan Ali, who had dismissed Faf du Plessis in his first over, created a big dent in the rival line-up when he sent JP Duminy and Wayne Parnell packing off successive deliveries. He had Duminy edging to slip with an angled ball that straightened after pitching and sent down a similar pacer to castle Parnell.

    South Africa, who were shaping up for a fight, were down to 118 for six in the 29th over and from there on it was an uphill task for them.

    Hasan, who was guilty of dropping Yuvraj Singh in their Group B opener against India, made amends by picking up two smart catches in this game.

    MORKEL PULLS IT BACK

    Debutant Fakhar Zaman was making the South African bowlers pay for providing him width by picking boundaries at will and Pakistan were racing towards the target at over six an over.

    That’s when Morne Morkel was pressed into the attack and the tall pacer who generates awkward bounce because of his height quickly pegged Pakistan back by claiming both openers in his second over.

    The first ball was a bouncer that struck Zaman on his helmet. Having set him up nicely, Morkel followed it up with a slow off-cutter which the left-handed batsman edged to first slip.

    He then dismissed Azhar Ali with a short ball but this time the batsman was at fault as despite knowing that a third man was in place he played a shot straight into the fielder’s hands.

    The South African bowlers suddenly found new vigour with this double success and sent down three successive maidens to put the pressure back on Pakistan.

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