Sports08 November, 20252 min read
Pakistan Crushes South Africa by Seven Wickets to Win ODI Series 2-1 in Faisalabad
Abrar Ahmed took a career-best four-wicket haul to dismantle South Africa for 143 runs. Pakistan chased the target of 144 runs in 25.1 overs, winning by seven wickets.
11 outlets told this the same way.
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Pakistan's ODI Series Victory
Pakistan clinched the three-match ODI series 2-1 by crushing South Africa by seven wickets in the Faisalabad decider. They chased 144 runs in 25.1 overs after bowling the visitors out for 143. Saim Ayub’s 77 anchored the pursuit, with support from Babar Azam, who scored 27, and Mohammad Rizwan, who remained unbeaten on 32.
“Pakistan won the three-match ODI series against South Africa 2-1 after defeating them by seven wickets in the final match at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad.”
Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed was instrumental, taking 4 wickets for 27 runs against South Africa. Several outlets noted South Africa's collapse from a strong start to being all out for 143.
The scale of Pakistan’s chase margin was also highlighted. One Asian outlet added that this was Pakistan’s first home ODI series win against South Africa.
Pakistan's Bowling Performance
Pakistan’s bowlers changed the momentum after South Africa’s 72-run opening partnership between Quinton de Kock, who scored 53, and Lhuandre Pretorius, who made 39. They dismantled the middle and lower order to restrict the innings to 143 runs in 37.5 overs. Abrar Ahmed was the standout bowler with figures of 4/27.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Ali Agha, and Mohammad Nawaz also contributed important wickets. The last eight wickets fell for just 37 runs. Several reports highlighted the collapse and the spin bowling that caused the batting lineup to falter, setting up the chase.
Summary of Cricket Chase
The chase featured an early wobble when Fakhar Zaman was dismissed without scoring. A 65-run partnership between Babar Azam, who scored 27, and Saim Ayub, who made 77, restored control. Mohammad Rizwan’s unbeaten 32 runs sealed the victory for Pakistan.
“Despite an early setback with Fakhar Zaman dismissed for a duck, Babar Azam and Saim Ayub stabilized the innings with a 65-run partnership.”
Pakistan finished their innings in the 26th over, consistent with detailed timings from multiple sources. Wicket-taking for South Africa was limited, with only Bjorn Fortuin and Nandre Burger credited with dismissals. One source calculated the win with 149 balls remaining, indicating a dominant finish.
Summary of ODI Cricket Series
Pakistan won the first ODI in the series. South Africa leveled the series 1-1 with a commanding eight-wicket victory in the second match. The second ODI was highlighted by Quinton de Kock’s unbeaten 123 while chasing 270 runs.
Nandre Burger took 4 wickets for 46 runs and Nqabayomzi Peter took 3 wickets for 55 runs in the same game. Dew conditions were also mentioned as a factor influencing the second match.
The final match brought international cricket back to Faisalabad after 17 years. This added local significance to the venue of the series decider.
Media Coverage of Cricket Match
Coverage perspectives diverged subtly by source type. Asian outlets such as Aaj English TV, The News International, Minute Mirror, and Pakistan Observer consistently foregrounded Pakistan’s bowling unit and partnership-building, plus a historic local milestone. Western mainstream media like The Citizen highlighted emphatic winning margins and collapse metrics.
“Pakistan’s strong bowling and teamwork secured the victory and the series win.”
Other outlets, including A Sports, blended phase-by-phase tactical beats such as the opening stand and sudden collapse. West Asian Arab News offered a comparable bowling focus but mis-labeled which match contained the 72-run opening stand, a key factual inconsistency flagged above.
