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Pakistan are competing with South Africa in Match 26 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. With their semi-final aspirations hanging in the balance, Pakistan need a victory in this crucial cla𝄹sh to keep their hopes alive in the tournament.
Saud Shakeel, Shadab Khan lead Pakistan to a competitive total
Pakistan, under Babar Azam‘s captaincy, chose to bat after winning the toss. The innings had a shaky start as Abdullah Shafique departed early, and Imam-ul-Haq fell shortly after.
Mohammad Rizwan 👍capitalized on🀅 a dropped catch, playing aggressively to score 31 off 27 balls. However, he got out just before the drinks break.
Iftikhar Ahmed‘s promotion to number five didn’t result in a significant partnership, as he was dismissed for 21. Babar reached his third fifty of the tournament but fell to Tabraiz Shamsi after a successful review by skipper Temba Bavuma.
With the Green Team struggling at 141/5 in the 28th over, Saud Shakeel (52) and Shadab Khan (43) crafted 84-run partnership, counter-attacking effectively, playing a part in their side’s competitive total of 270 runs.
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Quinton de Kock’s brilliance behind the stumps
On fifth delivery of the 28th over, Babar attempted a lap sweep against Shamsi’s tossed-up delivery, but the ball took a faint edge off his gloves before settling into the hands of wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock. Strangely, the dismissal was not immediately 🐷confirmed, as Shamsi and de Kock seem🅷ed uncertain about whether the ball had brushed the edge of the bat or the wicket. However, the Proteas decided to go for a review.
The right-handed batter awaited the decision with an air of calm and confidence, seemingly convinced that it would favour him🐻. However, the situation suddenly turned when the snickometer revealed a distinct spike as the ball passed the gloves. It was a surprising twist that left the 29-year-old visibly stunned. Babar returned to the pavilion with a numb expression, contributing 50 runs off 6ℱ5 balls.