South Africa rode on Aiden Markram‘s gritty 69 to beat Afghanistan by seven wickets in the third ODI to avoid series sweep. South Africa chased down an easy target of 170 runs with 17 overs to spare. Chasing 170, Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubbs starred as the visitors finished the game with 7 wickets and 17 overs in hand.
This victory not only salvaged pride for the Proteas but also provided some momentum as they prepared for their upcoming series against Ireland. Afghanistan, having dominated the first two matches, fell short on the day, resulting in a 2-1 series win. South Africa’s bowlers delivered in unison which was then followed by a clinical batting display as they pulled off a consolation win over Afghanistan in the third and final ODI in Sharjah.
Pitch and Toss
Pitch Report : We are on surface no. two, same one as it was in the second game. It’s a used surface, we saw on Friday night as the game progressed the ball turned more. I think the team winning the toss will like to bat first. You want to bring those stumps into play here as the bounce is a bit low on this surface, reckon Niall O’Brien and Vernon Philander
Toss : Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and opts to bat first with three changes in the playing XI having Fareed Malik, Naveed Zadran and Abdul Malik replacing Riaz Hassan, Rashid Khan and Fazalhaq Farooqi . South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma batting first makes one change in playing XI as Andile Phelukwayo comes in for Nandre Burger.
Discipline bowling restricts Afghanistan to 169 all out
Earlier in the match, Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bat first. South Africa’s bowlers executed their plans well, consistently targeting the stumps during the Powerplay. The visitors capitalized on their chances throughout the middle phase, with three run-outs contributing significantly to Afghanistan’s downfall. Although Rahmanullah Gurbaz kept the runs flowing, his aggressive approach ultimately led to his dismissal. Allah Ghazanfar added some late fireworks but was left stranded as Afghanistan was bowled out for 169 with 16 overs remaining.
Despite those two losses, Rahmanullah Gurbaz appeared in good touch, fetching regular boundaries. Fresh from a century that helped Afghanistan seal a historic series win, Gurbaz was in his elements again, striking sixes at will. However, the third wicket triggered a collapse that saw South Africa run through the middle order.
While Gurbaz was going strong at one end, needless runouts hurt Afghanistan. Quite spectacularly, as many as eight batters were dismissed for single-digit scores. Gurbaz, who hammered four sixes and looked good for another century, found the fielder at cover point to fall 11 short. Afghanistan eventually ended up making only 169, with 16 overs left in the innings.
In the absence of Rashid Khan, who tweaked his hamstring in the second match, and Fazalhaq Farooqi, who was rested, Afghanistan’s attack lacked some intensity but they did not have as much to work with as they would have liked after the batting blunders. Rahmanullah Gurbaz was the only member of Afghanistan’s top eight who scored more than 10, once again holding their innings together.
He fell 11 short of a second successive ODI century and extended his lead at the top of the series run-scorers charts. AM Ghazanfar, batting at No.9, contributed 31 off 15 balls to give South Africa a target of 170. They got there in 33 overs.
South Africa’s energy came from a good new-ball combination of Lungi Ngidi and Bjorn Fortuin, and in the field. Run-outs accounted for three of the first five Afghanistan wickets and gave South Africa an edge they lacked in the previous two matches.
Ngidi was excellent upfront, with his range of cutters and slower balls and got an early breakthrough when debutant opener Abdul Malik played all around a straight delivery and was pinned on the pad. Arguably, Ngidi made a more important breakthrough in his next over, when Gurbaz drove him aerially, he stuck out his right hand and the ball clipped his finger and ricocheted off Rahmat Shah and onto the stumps. Rahmat, at the non-striker’s end, was short of his ground.
While Rahmat was sloppy in getting back in time, Hashmatullah Shahidi’s lack of urgency was worse. He hit Markam behind square and called for two but ran the second too slowly and veered off a straight line to give Stubbs enough time at sweeper cover to throw to Kyle Verreynne and run the Afghanistan captain out. Things got worse in the next over when leg spinner Nqaba Peter bowled Azmatullah Omarzai.
By then, Gurbaz had already brought up a 47-ball 50, laced with his characteristic clean hitting down the ground and on the leg side. He dealt with the wickets by batting as normally as possible, even as he grew frustrated with his partner’s mistakes. Ikram Alikhil was next to misjudge when Gurbaz bottom-edged a pull off Aiden Markram to midwicket, leaving no time for a single. Alikhil was halfway down the wicket when Gurbaz sent him back but Temba Bavuma was onto the ball and ran Alikhil out.
Mohammad Nabi was Afghanistan’s last recognized batter and South Africa kept him quiet and should have him out for 5 when he missed a Bjorn Fortuin arm ball. South Africa didn’t review but replayed showed he would have been out lbw. In Fortuin’s next over, he got his own back when Nabi edged him to Verreynne and Bavuma reviewed successfully.
Gurbaz’s push for a century ended when he tried to hit Andile Phehlukwayo over extra cover and was well caught by Reeza Hendricks diving forward to leave Afghanistan 133 for 7. Phehlukwayo took a second wicket in three balls before Ngidi and Peter got rid of the tail. Afghanistan left 16 overs out there and will be disappointed with their capitulation after two dominant performances earlier in the week.
Once again, Afghanistan’s opening batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz played a brilliant innings, scoring a quickfire 89 runs. However, the rest of the batting lineup failed to capitalize on this start. After Gurbaz’s dismissal, Afghanistan lost seven wickets for just 132 runs.
Afghanistan, batting first, could only muster 169 runs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz was the standout performer with a rapid 89 runs, but he didn’t get any support from the other batters, which resulted in Afghanistan’s batting fiasco. The entire team was bundled out in just 35 overs. South Africa’s bowling attack was led by Lungi Ngidi, Nqabayomzi Peter, and Andile Phehlukwayo, who each claimed two wickets. Bjorn Fortuin also contributed with one wicket.
Aiden Markram’s gritty knock powers South Africa to 7-wicket consolation win over Afghanistan
Chasing a consolation win, South Africa were sedate in their approach as the top three got off to starts. None of them managed to kick on though as they gave their side a mini scare at 80/3. But Markram and Tristan Stubbs ensured there was no cause for concern. Rashid Khan’s absence also played into their hands as the duo batted through the middle phase without any real worry.
In the process, Aiden Markram cleared the ropes thrice, including two in an over from Mohammad Nabi. Eventually, he helped himself to a well-compiled half-century with Stubbs playing second fiddle at the other end. The two batters were involved in an unbeaten 90-run stand that laid the finishing touches.
In reply, South Africa chased down the target comfortably in just 34 overs as they lost just three wickets in the process. Aiden Markram was the star for the Proteas, playing a crucial innings. Aiden Markram scored an unbeaten 69 riding on four fours and three sixes. Tristan Stubbs also scored an unbeaten 26 off 42 in South Africa’s win.
After struggling in the previous two matches, South Africa produced an all-round performance. Their bowlers, led by Lungi Ngidi, restricted Afghanistan to a low total. In their chase, South Africa lost early wickets but Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubbs steadied the innings and guided their team to victory.
Aiden Markram scored a well-crafted 67-ball knock, while Stubbs played a supporting role. Meanwhile, Tony de Zorzi (26) and captain Temba Bavuma (22) made valuable contributions to South Africa’s victory. Allah Ghazanfar, Mohammad Nabi, and Fareed Ahmad were the wicket-takers for Afghanistan.
Chasing a target of 170 runs, South Africa faced a challenging task, especially given their struggles against spin throughout the series. Afghanistan had the opportunity to make things difficult for the South African batsmen. Although Temba Bavuma and Tony de Zorzi started cautiously, neither could convert their innings into a substantial score.
Reeza Hendricks also failed to make an impact, leaving the match hanging in the balance. Despite Afghanistan’s efforts to chip away at the top order, they could not secure wickets in clusters, which could have turned the game in their favour. The turning point for South Africa came from the key partnership between Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubbs.
The pair shared an unbeaten 90-run stand, mixing caution with smart strike rotation. Their ability to keep the scoreboard ticking was crucial in countering the Afghan spin threat and alleviating pressure. As the innings progressed, both batsmen grew in confidence, with Aiden Markram particularly asserting himself and ensuring no further hiccups occurred.
South Africa’s batting has been their downfall throughout the series and although improved, did not always look convincing. Bavuma and Tony de Zorzi were tentative against left-armer Naveed Zadran at first and Bavuma almost chopped on in the third over. But when they got hold of the 19-year-old, they capitalized.
De Zorzi smashed him past mid-off for the innings’ first boundary and Bavuma pulled him through mid-wicket later in the same over. He also took on Ghazanfar to suggest South Africa had done some work on their approach to spin, but de Zorzi underlined the old problems. He hit a sweep off Nabi straight to Hashmatullah at square leg and the captain put it down and then sent the next ball to cover, where Omarzai could not hold on.
In the next over, Bavuma played Ghazanfar down the wrong line and was bowled and the over after that, de Zorzi gave Ghazanfar a return chance but the ball bounced just in front of him. Just when it seemed de Zorzi’s charmed life knew no end, he stayed back in his crease against Nabi and was trapped lbw.
Reeza Hendricks’ lean run continued when he top-edged Fareed Ahmad to depart for a third score under 20 this series. In his last 15 white-ball internationals, Hendricks has only gone past 20 three times.
Aiden Markram took it on himself to anchor the rest of the chase and also provided experienced counsel for Stubbs. The pair built slowly at first and minimized risk but also picked their moments to attack. Markam scored the first boundary in 10 overs when he slog-swept Nangeyalia Kharote and then drove him through the covers. Then it was back to singles until Stubbs pulled Fareed behind square.
Aiden Markram’s aggression against spin came out when he hit Nabi for two sixes in an over. He brought up 50 off 54 balls and ended unbeaten on 69 off 67 balls. Stubbs reviewed successfully when he was given out lbw to Fareed on 18 and saw South Africa through to the end.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Hashmatullah Shahidi the winning skipper said : Feeling very happy about the performance in this series, overall a great series and there were some good learnings in this series as well. I would have been more happy if we had won this game but at the same time we wanted to field some youngsters and give them an opportunity.
The run-outs today cost us. I think we have a lot of youngsters who are capable to be here with us. We are trying to give them a chance, I won’t mention names but there are a lot.
Temba Bavuma the loosing skipper said : Quite happy with the performance in this game. We did well with the ball to take 10 wickets and we were clinical with the bat. In terms of how the series went, we need to do a lot of improvement. Myself and Tony had to take care of the powerplay. Unfortunately, we lost two wickets in 12 overs. There was a little help with the dew. Looked liked the ball skidded on later in the night and Markram batted really well.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz is Player of the Match and Player of the Series for his performances said : I feel really proud to perform against quality teams. I want to say congratulations to my team for this big achievement. (On his century in the second game of the series) That was really special. It’s really special to play against quality bowlers and quality teams and score against them. Looking to continue with the same confidence going ahead.
SA have saved themselves from some ignominy. Afghanistan lose a game finally. SA bowlers finally came to the party despite the heroics from Gurbaz. Afghanistan were shunted down for 169 and SA batters didn’t lose too much sweat in chasing it down. Tony and Bavuma started on a sedate note and then both fell. Hendricks also fell after a start. But Markram stayed solid and finished it off alongside Stubbs. SA would be elated with this performance.
They have made it 1-2. They tried hard in the first two games but faltered. They were huge losses for the African unit. Afghan who have made rapid strides in white ball cricket just added another feat to their cricketing history which is getting richer every passing day. So much so that they sealed the series with a game to go and made three changes to accommodate new names. This, however didn’t help as SA bounced back.
The rise of Afghanistan cricket has been exemplary over the years. In this series, they displayed good character and temperament over long phases of a game and that is what is required to succeed at the highest level. They have unearthed another bright talent in Allah Ghazanfar who kept the batters on their toes with his mystery spin bowling. Gurbaz showed that he can not only blaze away but can also bat patiently. They have a great prospect in Omarzai with both bat and ball.
Kharote is another spinner who bowls in probing channels and can bamboozle batters. South Africa, on the other hand, struggled against quality spin in the first two games to fall away. They bounced back in style today. The fact that Rashid Khan and Farooqi didn’t play today did help their cause but we can take nothing away from this victory. They were clinical throughout the game today. The slow and low conditions at Sharjah and the quality in the opposition rank will help some of their batters to develop a stronger technique against spin.
In the three-match ODI series between Afghanistan and South Africa, played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the UAE, Afghanistan dominated the first two matches, securing a 2-0 lead in the series.
The first ODI saw Afghanistan achieve their first-ever ODI victory against South Africa. South Africa, who won the toss, elected to bat first but had a disastrous start. Their batting lineup was dismantled by Afghanistan’s potent bowling attack, led by Fazalhaq Farooqi and Allah Ghazanfar. By the end of the first powerplay, South Africa were reeling at 36/7, highlighting the effectiveness of Afghanistan’s bowlers. Wiaan Mulder’s gritty 52 runs helped South Africa post a modest total of 106 before being bowled out in 33.3 overs.
Afghanistan’s chase was smooth and composed, with Azmatullah Omarzai and Gulbadin Naib playing crucial roles in stabilizing the innings. Naib’s unbeaten 34 runs ensured Afghanistan reached the target of 107 runs in just 26 overs, securing a comprehensive six-wicket victory. Bjorn Fortuin’s 2 wickets for South Africa were not enough to derail Afghanistan’s comfortable chase.
In the second ODI, Afghanistan continued their dominant form. Winning the toss, Afghanistan’s captain Hashmatullah Shahidi chose to bat first, citing the favorable batting conditions. Afghanistan posted a strong total of 311/4 in their 50 overs, thanks to significant contributions from Rahmanullah Gurbaz (105 runs off 110 balls) and Azmatullah Omarzai (86 runs off 50 balls).
South Africa’s response was inadequate as they struggled against Afghanistan’s bowling. Rashid Khan was particularly devastating, taking 5 wickets for 19 runs in his 9 overs, while Nangeyalia Kharote contributed with 4 wickets for 26 runs in 6.2 overs. South Africa were bowled out for 134 runs in 34.2 overs, resulting in a massive 177-run victory for Afghanistan. This win sealed the series for Afghanistan, with one match still to play.
The second match highlighted the gulf in performance between the two teams, with Afghanistan’s batting and bowling units performing in tandem to outclass South Africa. The series victory marked a significant milestone for Afghanistan, showcasing their growth and competitiveness in international cricket. SA’s UAE trip continues as they will face Ireland next for a 2-match T20I and 3-match ODI series.