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[Saba Sports News] South Africa continued their strong form in the ODI World Cup 2023, narrowly defeating Pakistan by one wicket in Chennai, in what’s been the tournament’s standout match. After Keshav Maharaj scored the winning runs with a boundary, an exuberant celebration erupted in the South African camp. A viral picture captured Proteas captain Temba Bavuma jumping for joy after the epic triumph over Babar Azam’s team.
Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat, losing wickets regularly to reach 141/5. However, a crucial 84-run partnership between Shadab Khan and Saud Shakeel steadied the innings. Just as Pakistan seemed poised for a strong finish, they lost both set batsmen in quick succession, eventually being bowled out for 270. Tabraiz Shamsi shone with four wickets, while Marco Jansen impressed with three.
In response, South Africa got off to a brisk start thanks to Bavuma and Quinton de Kock. Aiden Markram formed crucial partnerships with Rassie van der Dussen and David Miller. Although Markram fell for 91 with 21 runs left, South Africa’s lower order, led by Maharaj and Shamsi, guided them to victory with 16 balls to spare.
With this win, South Africa moved to the top of the table, albeit having played one more game than India. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s semi-final hopes suffered a major blow with their fourth consecutive loss.