South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma on Friday said that his team were lucky after pulling off a one-wicket win over Pakistan in a sensational finish to their Cricket World Cup match in Chennai.
South Africa were well on course for a comfortable win at 206-4 after being set 271 to win, but Aiden Markram’s dismissal for a brilliant 91 gave Pakistan a sniff of victory.
It was left to the last pair of Keshav Maharaj (7 not out) and Tabraiz Shamsi (4 not out) to score the last 11 runs for South Africa’s fifth win in six games.
Photo: Reuters
Bavuma said his side were lucky to pull off victory.
“I do think we could have shown a lot more of a clinical display in going about that run chase,” Bavuma said. “I think we did have luck on our side. We did give them opportunities to get into the game.”
Markram added 70 for the fifth wicket with David Miller (29) to lift his team from 136-4 before they lost the next six wickets for 54 runs.
Photo: AFP
Pakistan have lost four of six matches. To reach the semi-finals, they must win their final three group matches and hope other results go their way.
Bavuma said that players were jumping up and down in the dying moments.
“It was a little bit chaotic now with the guys jumping around. I think obviously at the end as well, we were all on the edge of our seats,” he said. “I think you had everyone’s opinions flying around as to how we should be going about that run chase, but at the end of the day, the guys who were in there, Keshav and Shamsi, did it for us.”
Bavuma said his team needed to chase wisely.
“I think the gods were with us, but like I said, it’s easier for us to have those conversations regarding our blueprint and how we want to go about going about those run chases,” he said.
South Africa have won four matches while batting first and were upset by the Netherlands when they failed to chase a 246-run target.
In yesterday’s early game in Dharamsala, Rachin Ravindra hit his second century of the tournament as New Zealand fell five runs short of Australia’s 388.
The 23-year-old Ravindra, who scored 123 in their opening win over England, reached three figures from 77 balls with seven fours and five sixes.
He had shared in a 96-run partnership for the third wicket with Daryl Mitchell as New Zealand attempted to pull off the second-highest successful chase in ODI cricket.
Mitchell was dismissed for 54 by leg-spinner Adam Zampa (3-74), holing out to long-on.
Needing 19 from the final over, James Neesham (58) was run out when a six from the final ball would have won New Zealand the game.
Earlier, Travis Head marked his first World Cup game with 109 and David Warner made 81 for Australia, who gained their fourth win in six games.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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