Bilawal Bhatti and Anwar Ali’s all-round performances helped Pakistan defeat South Africa by 23 runs in the first One-Day International (ODI) at Cape Town on Sunday.
Ali was declared the man of the match.
After putting up a solid batting performance, Bhatti picked up three wickets and Ali picked up 2 wickets to change the course of play. Ali’s strike in his second spell to remove a well-settled Jacques Kallis came at the perfect time.
Kallis scored a half-century while JP Duminy scored 49. However, South African batsmen struggled in front of Pakistan bowlers. Anwar Ali, who was unbeaten on 43, picked up two wickets.
Earlier, tail enders Bhatti and Ali defied a strong South African bowling attack to enable Pakistan to post 218 for nine.
Bhatti (39) and Anwar (43*) put on 74 for the eighth wicket after Pakistan’s recognised batsmen struggled against a strong South African pace attack.
For the first time since South Africa began their rise to the top of the Test rankings, the hosts fielded all three of their leading fast bowlers – Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel – in the same one-day side.
With Jacques Kallis returning for his first one-day international since February 2012, South Africa applied relentless pressure as Pakistan struggled to 131 for seven in the 36th over. But Bhatti and Ali went for their shots to keep their side in the game on what looked a good batting pitch.
Steyn took three for 33 and Morkel three for 39, while Philander claimed one for 37.
Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shehzad put on 49 for the first wicket but Steyn dismissed Jamshed in the 16th over and followed up with the wicket of Mohammad Hafeez, both caught in the slips.
Pakistan’s leading batsmen were unable to build any substantial partnerships and could not lift the scoring rate. They looked to be headed for a low total when Shahid Afridi was bowled by Steyn in the first over of the batting powerplay.
But Bhatti and Ali, both playing in their first one-day internationals, put on 74 off 70 balls. Bhatti made his 39 off 25 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes, while Ali hit six fours in a 55-ball innings.
PAKISTAN
Nasir Jamshed c Kallis b Steyn 24
Ahmed Shehzad c de Kock b Kallis 35
Mohammad Hafeez c Amla b Steyn 5
Sohaib Maqsood c Imran Tahir b Kallis 22
Misbah-ul-Haq c de Kock b Morkel 13
Umar Akmal c de Kock b Philander 0
Shahid Afridi b Steyn 26
Bilawal Bhatti lbw b Morkel 39
Anwar Ali not out 43
Saeed Ajmal c Duminy b Morkel 3
Junaid Khan not out 0
EXTRAS (b 2, lb 1, w 5) 8
TOTAL (9 wickets; 50 overs; 227 mins) 218
FALL OF WICKETS 1-49 (Nasir Jamshed, 15.2 ov), 2-58 (Mohammad Hafeez, 17.3 ov), 3-73 (Ahmed Shehzad, 23.3 ov), 4-97 (Misbah-ul-Haq, 28.6 ov), 5-98 (Umar Akmal, 29.4 ov), 6-124 (Sohaib Maqsood, 34.3 ov), 7-131 (Shahid Afridi, 35.5 ov), 8-205 (Bilawal Bhatti, 47.3 ov), 9-213 (Saeed Ajmal, 49.2 ov)
BOWLING: DW Steyn 10-2-33-3, VD Philander 10-0-37-1, M Morkel 10-0-39-3, JP Duminy 5-0-23-0, Imran Tahir 7-1-30-0, JH Kallis 8-0-53-2
SOUTH AFRICA
GC Smith st Umar Akmal b Mohammad Hafeez 12
HM Amla b Junaid Khan 3
Q de Kock b Bilawal Bhatti 19
JH Kallis b Anwar Ali 50
AB de Villiers b Shahid Afridi 10
JP Duminy c Umar Akmal b Saeed Ajmal 49
DA Miller c Umar Akmal b Anwar Ali 4
VD Philander c Sohaib Maqsood b Saeed Ajmal 14
DW Steyn b Bilawal Bhatti 15
M Morkel b Bilawal Bhatti 17
Imran Tahir not out 0
EXTRAS (w 2) 2
TOTAL (all out; 48.1 overs; 219 mins) 195 (4.04 runs per over)
FALL OF WICKETS 1-12 (Amla, 2.2 ov), 2-20 (Smith, 3.5 ov), 3-62 (de Kock, 12.1 ov), 4-79 (de Villiers, 17.2 ov), 5-115 (Kallis, 25.4 ov), 6-123 (Miller, 29.4 ov), 7-155 (Philander, 37.4 ov), 8-168 (Duminy, 43.1 ov), 9-192 (Steyn, 46.6 ov), 10-195 (Morkel, 48.1 ov)
BOWLING: Junaid Khan 8-0-38-1, Anwar Ali 6-0-24-2, Mohammad Hafeez 10-0-34-1, Bilawal Bhatti 7.1-0-37-3, Saeed Ajmal 10-0-28-2, Shahid Afridi 7-0-34-1
Match details
Toss Pakistan, who chose to bat
Series Pakistan led the 3-match series 1-0
ODI debuts Anwar Ali and Bilawal Bhatti (Pakistan)
Player of the match Anwar Ali (Pakistan)
Umpires JD Cloete and CB Gaffaney (New Zealand)
TV umpire BNJ Oxenford (Australia)
Match referee BC Broad (England)
Reserve umpire S George
