Character, nerves and sheer talent shown by Pakistan (Part 1)
The struggling and poor cricketing performances by the Pakistani national cricket team this summer season finally came to an end. The promising fight shown by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 in the second of a five ODI match series in the ongoing home series played at the neutral
venue of UAE against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757, gives hope to the cricket lovers from around the globe. It showed the ICC 1992 World Cup heroes still have what it takes to win.
Dazzling and thrilling batting from Pakistani all-rounder Abdul Razzaq as he scored an unbeaten match-winning 109 runs off 72 balls sealed an emphatic victory one wicket victory for Pakistan. The master blaster yet again fired up the match situation and
performed under pressure.
He maintained a strike rate of 151.38 and thrashed the living day-lights out of the South African bowling attack. His brilliant knock with the bat was studded with seven boundaries and ten powerful sixes.
Arguably, one might advocate the fact that most of the wins in the international arena by the Asian team are based on individual performances rather than team work or effort. But since the advent of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 as the ODI and T20 skipper, the national
cricket side has won most of their international encounters via small individual contributions from the entire team.
Skipper Afridi and young left hand dasher Fawad Alam were able to put up a 66 run partnership in the middle order when the team was looking forward to another toothless defeat. Afridi scored 49 runs from 40 balls, as he ended his innings with a strike rate
of 122.50.
While, the left hand Alam played sensible cricket, and gave the national team the required stability with 48 runs, scored at a strike rate of 70.58.
The skipper’s share in the 66 run partnership was more than the young left hand Fawad Alam, as he played his natural game, with the exception that he spent 41 minutes in the middle, and led the national team by example. Before he gave his crucial wicket
carelessly away to Lonwabo Tsotsobe’s bowling after a simple catch to Colin Ingram in the deep.
Ironically, the South African didn’t do anything wrong in the match as such, they just forget the out-of-the-box innings the Pakistani cricketers can display under any given circumstances. Hashim Amla and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Jean-Paul-Duminy-c66758, the two batsmen scored blazing
half-centuries at over a strike rate of 100.00. Collin Ingram’s century allowed the African team to manage a defendable total.
The South African must have felt that they weren’t able to make the most of the 50 allotted overs, as when young talented Ingram got out in the 40th over, the team was well settled at 216 for 4. But it was the economical and consistent bowling
of skipper Afridi and young fast bowler Wahab Riaz as both took two wickets each and bowled out their ten overs respectively.
It was the South African lower order, which failed to make the most of the last ten overs of their innings and yet Jean-Paul Duminy ensured a total close to 300 runs.
The bowling power play by the South African was up to the mark, as they were able to take early wickets. The efforts of Charl Langeveldt’s fast bowling were pretty evident in dismissing the upper order and keeping the Pakistani upper-order under pressure.
But the advent of Skipper’s and Alam’s middle order partnership and veteran all-rounder Razzaq’s wrath at the end could not have been predicted.
(To be continued...Part 2)
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