Babar Azam
First of all, Pakistan deserves praise for matching it. Throughout the 271-run chase, South Africa was constantly ahead of Pakistan, but the latter persevered and took control of the game after Aiden Markram gave up his wicket with 21 runs remaining. Babar Azam made a brilliant move by passing the ball to Usama Mir, a leg-spinner.
Markram could have taken the game for South Africa and reached a well-earned century had he batted one or two more overs. Babar sensed this and decided to take a chance by using the leggie in the attack. It was successful; Markram attempted the heroic shot but ultimately gave up his wicket for 93.
Babar was quick to respond once more. Even though he knew he had just two overs remaining, he continued to have Shaheen Afridi on the other end. The 50th over was supposed to be the end of this game. Gerald Coetzee was bowled out by Shaheen, putting Pakistan ahead.
Babar made yet another modification. He removed Usama and returned Haris Rauf to his place. The South African tail was always going to be troubled by Shaheen and Haris’s increased pace, and this was indeed the case. Before Lungi Ngidi was out-caught and bowled by Rauf in the 46th over, Keshav Maharaj and Ngidi fought for three overs. If an umpire’s call rule had not saved South Africa’s No. 11 Tabraiz Shamsi, the match would have been over.
With 1 wicket remaining, South Africa now needed 8 runs in 4 overs. With just one over left, Mohammad Wasim Junior, the other specialty fast bowler, had already bowled out Shaheen and Haris. Babar accepted the risk. For Pakistan, it was a make-or-break situation. In an attempt to end the contest in the 47th over, he threw the ball to Wasim.
Maharaj and Shamsi also knew this. They somehow managed to survive Wasim’s over, and they also got three runs. Five runs were needed now.
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Babar, who had been pretty good with his bowling changes till then, made a surprising decision. Instead of bringing leg-spinner Mir back into the attack, who had a better chance of foxing the lower-order batters, Babar gave the ball to left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz, who does not particularly have a good record in the death overs.
