PAK VS SA 1ST T20I

Well then, a bruising defeat for Pakistan in front of their own faithful, and the sting cuts deeper. This marks just their third T20I loss at Rawalpindi. South Africa played a near-perfect game of cricket and would aim to carry forward the momentum ahead in the series. From Rawalpindi, the two teams will travel to the city of Lahore for the second T20I at the famous Gaddafi Stadium. That game will be played on Friday, 31st October and the first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 3 pm GMT. Do make sure to join us an hour earlier for the pre-match buzz and exciting analysis. Until then, take care, cheers!

The victorious skipper of South Africa, Donovan Ferreira, beams with pride after his team’s clinical all-round display. Says that he is very proud of the effort, and it was a collective performance. Credits the strong powerplay batting for setting the tone and applauds George Linde’s finishing burst that pushed them to a strong total. Talking about their bowling plans, Donovan says that they kept it simple and aimed to bowl at the top of off, nothing fancy. Praises how the new faces grabbed their opportunities, adding that when senior players are rested, it’s great to see youngsters step up and perform with intent. On the batting front, he highlights Reeza Hendricks’ calm and composed innings, which anchored the team and gave Linde the freedom to go big at the end. Also gives special mention to Corbin Bosch, saying he brought great energy with the ball. Normally, he goes for yorkers, but today he hit the deck hard and made things happen. Four wickets is an amazing effort.

The captain of Pakistan, Salman Agha, reflects on the defeat. He begins by admitting that they didn't start with the ball, but says that they pulled things back nicely in the middle overs. On the batting approach, he critically stresses that they need to bat properly and rotate the strike to build partnerships in the middle overs. Admits that they are currently not doing well in this regard and are losing too many wickets in that phase. He also concedes that they didn't bowl well overall, as hitting the top of off would have been a good option.

South Africa's George Linde is adjudged the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his impressive all-around performance. He humbly admits that he doesn’t think he deserves the award, saying Corbin Bosch and Reeza Hendricks truly set up the game for South Africa and deserve the credit. Explains that his batting role is to finish games, and he’s just glad he managed to pull it off this time. With the ball, he says that he knew what he wanted to do early on but couldn’t quite execute; later, he focused on staying calm and sticking to his plans, which made the difference. Looking ahead, Linde says that he’s excited for the next game in Lahore, calling it an awesome venue. He expects Pakistan to come hard in front of their home crowd in the next match, but confidently adds that South Africa will be ready for the challenge.

... THE PRESENTATION CEREMONY ...

Earlier in the game, Pakistan asked the Proteas to bat first, but their pacers were taken apart by the openers, Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks. At 74/1 after the Powerplay, South Africa were well on course for a huge total on a batting-friendly Pindi wicket. But in came Mohammad Nawaz with his spell of brilliance. Runs were choked in the middle overs, with him striking a fabulous 3-fer. However, with a late cameo from George Linde, South Africa did manage to post 194 on the board. Spin operated with control for Pakistan, as Saim Ayub's golden arm partnered with Nawaz's brilliance for a couple of wickets. But the pacers, including Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi, proved to be very expensive.

Two comebacks headlined this series opener, though with vastly contrasting outcomes. Quinton de Kock reminded everyone the fire still burns, demonstrating he remains a potent weapon at the top with a vintage display of controlled aggression. Babar Azam's return, however, proved utterly forgettable, failing to disturb the scoreboard and raising uncomfortable questions about his current form.

The perennial albatross around Pakistan's neck in T20I cricket remains their staggering dot ball consumption. Their chronic inability to manipulate the strike systematically strangles momentum and heaps unbearable pressure upon the middle order. They've supposedly embraced aggressive intent, yet this systemic flaw keeps resurfacing like a bad habit they can't shake off.  A word of appreciation about Mohammad Nawaz though. He has become a much-improved all-rounder in recent times, and that showed in this game. A three-wicket haul showcased his bowling prowess, followed by a quickfire 36 that injected fleeting hopes. Ultimately futile, perhaps, but his dual contributions stood as rare bright spots in an otherwise dismal collapse.

The Proteas pacers executed textbook simplicity and adapted to the conditions extremely well - relentless hard lengths, keeping it stump-to-stump, and they harvested rewards as the ball skidded and bounced off the surface. The pitch report warned of razor-thin margins for error at this venue, a memo that the Pakistani attack clearly binned. Their habitual spray of width outside off proved catastrophically expensive, highlighting the stark difference between disciplined aggression and careless generosity. From the South African camp, Corbin Bosch finished off with an impressive 4-wicket haul, while the others around him, including George Linde's 3-for,  properly shared the load and didn't allow the Pakistanis to free their arms at all.

Chasing 195, Sahibzada Farhan attacked with conviction, while Saim Ayub survived an early Breetzke sitter but struggled ominously. His accumulation of scoreless deliveries proved toxic, catalysing Farhan's demise before Babar Azam's anticipated comeback into the T20I setup fizzled into irrelevance. The Proteas' incisive pace barrage systematically evaporated Pakistan's momentum, leaving them gasping at 34/2 at the end of the Powerplay.

A proper demolition job from the Proteas to take a 1-0 lead in this 3-match T20I series. The cherry on top? South Africa etched themselves into the record books as the first team ever to defeat Pakistan in a T20I while defending a total in Rawalpindi. The Proteas owned this game from start to finish. Yes, their momentum was stalled for a bit in the middle overs while batting, but it all is well if it ends well. For Pakistan, they just couldn't find the right momentum in the game, and just kept losing wickets one after the other, which forces them now to have a serious introspection regarding their approach in this format.

OUT! TAKEN! DONE AND DUSTED! South Africa have defeated Pakistan by 55 runs in the first T20I and have taken a lead of 1-0 in the 3-match series. Full and angling in, around leg. Mohammad Nawaz backs away and tries to loft it. But as the ball follows him, Nawaz doesn't get the desired timing and holes out towards long on. Corbin Bosch moves to his left there and pouches it around his shoulders. It has been a comprehensive win for the Proteas. SOUTH AFRICA WIN BY 55 RUNS!

OUT! TAKEN! DONE AND DUSTED! South Africa have defeated Pakistan by 55 runs in the first T20I and have taken a lead of 1-0 in the 3-match series. Full and angling in, around leg. Mohammad Nawaz backs away and tries to loft it. But as the ball follows him, Nawaz doesn't get the desired timing and holes out towards long on. Corbin Bosch moves to his left there and pouches it around his shoulders. It has been a comprehensive win for the Proteas. SOUTH AFRICA WIN BY 55 RUNS!

WIDE! A slower delivery, full but wide outside off. Nawaz leaves it. Called a wide.

Lizaad Williams (3-0-20-1) is back on for the penultimate over of the match.

Angling in, full and around off, Abrar Ahmed gets squared up but manages to defend it towards cover point.

Back of a length and around leg, Nawaz backs away and tries to punch but gets an inside edge towards short fine. A single taken.