Misbah-ul-Haq played a captain’s innings with an unbeaten 57 as he steered Pakistan to a six-wicket victory over South Africa in the rain-affected second one-day international at Centurion on Friday. (Partly reported yesterday)
Pakistan speedster Mohammad Irfan tore through the top order and South Africa were restricted to a modest 191 which the tourists passed with more than four overs to spare in a game that had been reduced to 44 per side by a rain delay.
Misbah shared a match-winning unbeaten fifth-wicket stand of 77 with Shoaib Malik (35 not out) as the pair showed patience initially and then blasted their way to victory.
Younus Khan (32) and Mohammed Hafeez (31) also made valuable contributions in a low-scoring game, but the win was set up by an attacking display with the ball.
Irfan posted career best figures of four for 33 as he took full advantage of the pace and variable bounce in the wicket.
He helped reduce South Africa to 62 for five before a fighting maiden one-day international half-century from Farhaan Berhardien (58) and a career-best 44 from Robin Peterson gave the hosts a glimmer of hope.
“The way we started, four wickets in the first 10 overs, that set up the game for us,” Misbah said in a television interview.
“It is satisfying for us because we really needed this win. It was an attacking move to bring in Mohammad Irfan and it paid off for us.”
Pakistan paced their chase expertly and South Africa’s frustration led to a wayward bowling performance.
They offered Pakistan far too many opportunities to score and battled to create any pressure.
“It was a very disappointing performance, Pakistan took the initiative early on and bowled very well,” captain AB de Villiers said.
“There are no excuses, we just didn’t play well today. They controlled the game and did it easily in the end.”
The teams head into Sunday’s third one-day international with the series level at 1-1 after South Africa had breezed to a 125-run victory in the first match in Bloemfontein last weekend.
Pakistan cricket team are lucky to have a calm and composed leader in Misbah ul Haq. Time and again he has shown the youngsters how to hold their ground and not throw their wickets by playing wrong shots too frequently. The young rising star batsman Nasir Jamshed needs to learn how to stay calm and begin his innings with this in mind “no one can get him out” but instead he keeps throwing his wicket away by going after the balls leaving him.The fast bowlers of the opposition keep exploiting his weekness. He needs to stay there and runs will start flowing exactly the way his captain Misbah does. Pakistan are also lucky to have fast bowlers of high calibre in Mohammad Irfan and Junaid Khan. I like to remind them they have the ability to swing away and into the batsmen but their most lethal weapon also is “just short of length, rising and darting into the chest” Good luck and God bless with todays contest.
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