AB de Villiers celebrates his 14th ODI century
Skipper AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla hit whirlwind centuries as South Africa overpowered Shahid Afridi to win the third one-day international in Johannesburg by 34 runs on Sunday.
The victory gave South Africa a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Afridi plundered eight sixes and five boundaries in his blistering 48-ball 88, before Pakistan were bowled oiut for 309 in the penultimate over after de Villiers (128) and Amla (112) set a record 238-run third-wicket stand to help the hosts manage 343-5.
The record was previously held by India’s Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, who had shared 237 runs for the third wickets against Kenya at Bristol during the 1999 World Cup.
Afridi, whose drought for a fifty had been extended to 13 months, switched on power hitting after Pakistan were struggling at 132-5 midway to their run-chase.
On the occasion when the tourists were seemed totally out of contention, Afridi brought the tourists back into the contest by sharing a 71-run sixth-wicket stand withskipper Misbah-ul-Haq (28).
Thrill seemed to have ended when Afridi was bowled out off Ryan McLaren. But the swashbuckler was recalled after TV replays showed that seamer’s foot was ahead of crease when the delivered the ball.
Afridi cashed the opportunity and smacked a six and a pair of boundaries before eventually been caught in the deep by McLaren off Lonwabo Tsotsobe
Wahab Riaz, who earlier leaked 93 runs in 10 overs, Pakistan’s worst ever bowling figures in an ODI, put South Africa’s victory bids at bay for sometime by scoring 45 off 52 balls but his cameo had no impact on the bottom-line.
Earlier, de Villiers scored 128 off 108 balls with a dozen boundaries and three sixes to register his 14th ODI century while Amla hit 122 off 113 balls with nine fours and a six for his 11th ODI ton after the hosts were put in to bat.
The two batsmen combined after the cheap dismissals of Graeme Smith (3) and Colin Ingram (17) and started pulverizing clueless Pakistani bowling line with flamboyant shots all over the park.
Amla successfully reviewed a television review to overturn a leg-before decision and survived a dropped catch by Hafeez at point when on 36.
Misbah’s decision to bowl first seemed right when seven-foot-tall seamer Mohammad Irfan got rid of Graeme Smith (3) and Ingram (17), leaving South Africa reeling at 42-2 in 14 overs, but the introduction of spinners along with Wahab Riaz opened the floodgates for tourists as Amla and de Villiers made the mockery of Pakistan bowling line, keeping the run-rate of over seven.
The pair was particularly ruthless against Wahab Riaz, who was playing his first ODI in a year and was included in the team at the expense of veteran Umar Gul.
After breaking the world record, Amla and de Villiers were dismissed in the quick-succession.
Despite of pair’s departure, Pakistan’s penalization had not ended yet as Faf du Plessis sprinkled more salt into their wounds by clobbering 45 off 19 deliveries with four boundaries and three sixes.
The fourth match of the series is scheduled at Durban on Thursday.
