South African captain Temba Bavuma acknowledged that his team had some luck on their side as they secured a thrilling one-wicket victory over Pakistan in a dramatic World Cup match in Chennai on Friday.
Initially, South Africa appeared to be cruising to victory at 206-4 while chasing a target of 271. However, the dismissal of Aiden Markram for a brilliant 91 gave Pakistan hope.
The responsibility to score the final 11 runs fell on the last pair of Keshav Maharaj (seven not out) and Tabraiz Shamsi (four not out), ultimately leading to South Africa’s fifth win in six games.
Bavuma admitted, “I do believe that luck played a part in our victory. We could have displayed a more clinical performance during the run chase. We did offer Pakistan opportunities to get back into the game.”
Markram had a 70-run partnership for the fifth wicket with David Miller (29), rescuing South Africa from a precarious position of 136-4. However, they lost the next six wickets for just 54 runs.
With four losses in six matches, Pakistan’s chances of reaching the semi-finals rely on winning their remaining three games and hoping for favorable outcomes in other matches.
Bavuma described the tense moments at the end of the match, saying, “It was a bit chaotic with the players jumping around. Towards the end, we were all on the edge of our seats. Everyone had opinions on how to approach the run chase, but in the end, Keshav and Shamsi were the ones who pulled it off for us.”
Bavuma emphasized the need for a strategic approach in chasing targets and attributed some of their success to good fortune.
South Africa has won four matches while batting first but suffered an upset against the Netherlands when they failed to chase a target of 246 runs.
Bavuma also drew inspiration from the South African rugby team’s recent performances, particularly their quarterfinal and semifinal victories in the Rugby World Cup.
He remarked, “Speaking of the Springboks, their recent performances have been truly inspiring. Their determination and the way they approached crucial matches, like the quarterfinal and semifinal, were motivating for us as cricket players. It showed us the importance of never giving up.”
