Pakistan and South Africa face each other in the third T20I of the series. One victory will assure both sides to not lose the series.
Match Timings: April 14, 6 PM IST
Team Preview
Pakistan and South Africa will lock horns in the Third T20I at Johannesburg. Pakistan won the thriller in the first T20I on the penultimate ball and South Africa bounced back hard by thrashing the visitors with a 14-overs chase. In the first game, Pakistan chased down their highest ever T20I total and in the second game, Proteas outplayed Pakistan in all departments. Babar Azam scored 2nd slowest T20I fifty for Pakistan and regular wickets kept them out of the contest. Pakistani bowlers also failed to defend and Proteas demoralized them with the hard-hitting chase.
Sharjeel Khan came back in the national squad after five years but went for just 8. The whole Pakistani batting lineup struggled in the second T20I and scored only 140 on a flat track. Usman Qadir was impressive with two for 26 but pace-battery was off the colors. Sharjeel Khan might be replaced with Fakhar Zaman and Pak may change the lineup for this game. Hafeez also has to take accountability in the batting unit. He scored a vital 32 in the last game but didn’t convert it into big. In the last 7 overs, Pakistan lost 5 wickets and scored just 48. The surprising element was Babar’s batting who stood until the 18th over but didn’t provide acceleration.
Meanwhile, Proteas are highly boosted after this victory and they just thrashed the Pakistani unit by 6 wickets with 36 balls spare. George Linde and Williams picked three wickets and didn’t allow Pakistani batsmen to get settle. Markram’s good form boosted their batting and he took the charge in the absense of Dussen and Bavuma. Klaasen also contributed 36 off 21 balls and Protea made a cakewalk to this chase. After a dominating performance in the last game, South Africa can trouble Pakistan and if they win, they can look for the series win in the last T20I.
Pitch Report
Centurion’s track is an idealT20 track. Pacers can take extra help from the pitch and spin might be effective in middle-overs. We may expect a score of 160-170 in the first innings. The chasing side will have an advantage.
Possible XI
South Africa
Janneman Malan, Aiden Markram, Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen (c & wk), Pite van Biljon, George Linde, Andile Phehlukwayo, Sisanda Magala, Beuran Hendricks, Lizaad Williams, Tabraiz Shamsi
Pakistan
Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Hafeez, Haider Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Qadir, Mohammad Hasnain
Key Players
Pakistan
Mohammed Hafeez
Since Covid-19 – 307 runs from 8 matches
Mohammed Rizwan
Since Covid-19 – 399 runs from 11 matches
South Africa
Aiden Markram
105 runs in series with two half-centuries
Heinrich Klaasen
Having a good form, 27-ball 50 and 21-ball 36 in series
