Pakistan vs South Africa 2021, 2nd T20I - South Africa Level The Series Through A Comfortable Victory

The visitors South Africa have made a brilliant comeback in the three-match T20I series against the hosts Pakistan after comfortably winning the second T20I of this series by six wickets.

Trailing the series by 1-0, the visiting captain chose to field first after winning the toss in this Lahore T20I. While Pakistan managed to score 144/7 in the first innings, South Africa chased down that target in 16.2 overs after losing four wickets.

Pakistan vs South Africa 2021, 2nd T20I

2nd innings (South Africa): Pakistan got early breakthrough but the visitors controlled the game soon

On the very second ball of the innings, Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled Janneman Malan (4), who started the innings with a four. In the third over, Afridi dismissed JJ Smuts (7) as South Africa were struggling on 21/2.

Opener Reeza Hendricks and Pite van Biljon put the crucial 77 runs partnership for the third wicket which helped the visitors to take fully control in that chasing. Both of them scored 42 runs each where Usman Qadir took the wicket of Hendricks and Biljon was caught and bowled by Mohammad Nawaz.

Later, David Miller and captain Heinrich Klaasen safely guided South Africa to the crucial series-leveling victory. While Miller scored 25 not out, Klaasen scored 17 not out as they had the 40 runs partnership for the unbroken fifth wicket.

1st innings (Pakistan): Dwaine Pretorius was the hero while in-form Mohammad Rizwan scored another fifty

Opener and wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan continued his superb form but once again he didn’t get proper support from the other end. Captain Babar Azam (5) again lost his wicket on the eighth ball of the day as he became the first victim of Dwaine Pretorius in that T20I match. Haider Ali (10) also lost his wicket inside the powerplay as Andile Phehlukwayo picked up that wicket.

Just after the powerplay, Tabraiz Shamsi dismissed Hussain Talat (3). Then Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed put the crucial 45 runs partnership for the fourth wicket. But then Pretorius dominated with the ball in hand. After Rizwan completed his third consecutive T20I fifty in 39 balls, Iftikhar (20) lost his wicket on the very next ball as Pretorius got that wicket.

In his next over, Pretorius took the big wicket of Rizwan who scored 51 off 41 balls (6 fours and only six). In his last over, Pretorius dismissed Khushdil Shah (15) and Mohammad Nawaz (0) and finished with the bowling figures of 4-0-17-5.

Faheem Ashraf tried his best to play a quick cameo at the end as he scored 30 not out off 12 balls (2 fours and 2 sixes).

Brief Scores: Pakistan – 144/7 in 20 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 51, Faheem Ashraf 30*; Dwaine Pretorius 5/17)

South Africa – 145/4 in 16.2 overs (Reeza Hendricks 42, Pite van Biljon 42; Shaheen Shah Afridi 2/18)

Result – South Africa won by 6 wickets