PAK VS RSA - 26th Match, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023

South Africa go top of the table and look well-placed to make the semis. Pakistan on the other hand for the first time in their #CWC history have lost four in a row. That almost knocks them out of the semis race. Lots of soul-searching for them to do. On that note we wind up. Tomorrow is a double-header Saturday and we will be there nice and early. Do join us then for that. Till then sleep tight and always remember to take care. Adios amigos!

Temba Bavuma | South Africa captain: It is chaos at the moment. The guys are enjoying the moment. The guys are picking up Shamsi. Chaos at the moment. Nail-biting finish, if you are a South African fan, you will be happy. Pressure with us chasing, we haven't done well to rectify that. It will be easier to have those conversations especially after the win. You need to have the guys in the best situations and truly speak out as to what they were thinking. Hard to say now but those conversations will happen. It is something we have spoken and something which has been thrown about. We have a blueprint when we bat first, we can't say with conviction we have that when we are chasing. We want to be a lot more clinical with the bat. That's nice to hear. KG (Rabada) is good, it was more precautionary, he is experiencing lower back issues and a couple of days rest before New Zealand and he will be in contention. Ecstatic for Shamsi, started with the ball, came in when conditions were helpful and then with the bat. We have seen Shamsi gloating on social media about his batting. It won't stop for the next two weeks but it's nice for a senior guy like Shamsi to come out with the bat like that.

Babar Azam | Pakistan captain: We are very close, we did not finish well. Very disappointing for the whole team. We fought back very well. In the batting we were 10-15 short. The fast bowlers and spinners fought well but unfortunately it was not to be. It is part of the game, in DRS it is part of the game. Had he given it out, it would have favored us. We have an opportunity to win this and stay in the race but not to be. We will try our best in the next 3 matches and put our efforts and play for Pakistan. Let's see where we will stand after that.

Tabraiz Shamsi | Player of the Match: Really happy. I knew I had to do a job there, but the guys before me set it up. Credit goes to those guys too. I’ve played enough cricket to know sometimes it goes for you, sometimes it doesn’t. I didn’t expect to be here with my pads on doing this interview. (On the last over) If I tried to play a big shot and if it didn’t come off, the boys wouldn’t welcome me back to the changeroom. So there was no doubt in my mind that I had to just defend and get Kesh on strike. These are the kind of moments you dream of, to be in the middle at the end and win your team a game. Kesh was unbelievable out there.

Interesting stats by Deepu Narayanan

First time Pakistan have lost four successive matches in World Cups

One wicket win in World Cups
WI vs Pak Birmingham 1975
Pak vs WI Lahore 1987
SA vs SL Providence 2007
Eng vs WI Bridgetown 2007
Afg vs Sco Dunedin 2015
NZ vs Aus Auckland 2015
SA vs Pak Chennai 2023**

First time South Africa have beaten Pakistan in a World Cup match (ODI/T20I) in seven attempts since 1999.

Highest successful chases by SA in World Cups
297 vs Ind Nagpur 2011
271 vs Pak Chennai 2023**
254 vs Ind Hove 1999
This is also the highest successful chase by SA against Pakistan in all ODIs surpassing 251 in East London in 1998.

Pakistan defending 270+ in World Cups
1975-2019: 15 mat | 14 wins | 1 defeat
2023: 3 mat | 1 win | 2 defeats

22:35 Local Time, 17:05 GMT, 22:35 IST: 27th October 2023! It has taken 23 days for the tournament to catch fire. And we have the first close game. And what a game it was. South Africa go top of the table after this win! Maharaj as replays show thumped his chest after winning it and yelled out "come on" a couple of times. Pure emotion on show as the opposite end of the spectrum was seen with Pakistan. The MA Chidambaram stadium has been witness to a thriller. Chasing 271 under lights, de Kock looked like he wanted to end it in 30 overs but he holed out to a pull and Pakistan kept taking wickets at regular intervals to claw their way back into the contest. But Aiden Markram stood tall and looked set to take his side home but he too fell at the wrong time and when the 8th wicket fell, Pakistan were favorites. But Ngidi hung around and saw off a few dangerous balls along with Maharaj. When Ngidi fell it was again Pakistan's game but Maharaj and Shamsi sensibly saw off the three pacers and Babar was handicapped as he had to bring on a spinner. And when Nawaz came on, Maharaj pounced. Amidst all of this there was drama as Shadab went off with a hit to his head and Usama Mir came on as a concussion sub and took 2 big wickets. Also cramps for Wasim Jr at the end, so much drama and it was South Africa who kept their heads at the most crucial time to come out victorious. Pakistan fought hard and fought till the last ball, but couldn't get that elusive final wicket even though Rauf will feel hard done with that ump's call for LBW being given not out off Shamsi. Stay tuned for the presentation...

Nawaz to Maharaj, FOUR, Maharaj has done it! South Africa unchoke themselves to a famous win! Maharaj has pulled it off, he removes the helmet and roars looking at South Africa's dugout. As does Shamsi. Both hug each other. Babar is not happy with Nawaz, has a go at him. It was a flat delivery on the stumps, Maharaj goes on the back foot and whips stylishly, wide of backward square leg and too wide for deep square leg to get across and cut it off. As soon as Maharaj hit that, he roared as he knew he had done it. Imam is disconsolate as he is down on his haunches. A gutting defeat for Pakistan whose semi-final hopes now hang by a thin thread

One hit and Maharaj is on strike. Will he go for it?

Nawaz to Shamsi, 1 run, flat good length on off, tucked wide of mid-wicket and brings Maharaj on strike

Mohammad Nawaz [6.0-0-35-0] is back into the attack

What will Babar do now? All his pacers have bowled out. So he has to turn to a spinner. Mir or Nawaz or even Ifti? Who will it be? Meanwhile Maharaj looks tensed but Shamsi is smiles. And it is Nawaz. What's the field like? One hit can do it. Five inside the ring. Three on the off-side. Cover Two men at backward point, backward square leg and mid-wicket on the leg-side. Nawaz with a few throwdowns to someone. Tense. Tense.

Mohammad Wasim Jr to Maharaj, no run, Maharaj survives. Maharaj keeps out the fullish delivery on the stumps, bit of a thick inside-edge on to pad, rolls away wide of the stumps

Last ball of Mohammad Wasim Jr's spell. The field comes up. Will Maharaj take a chance? Or will he wait for the spinner? What a game this is.

Mohammad Wasim Jr to Maharaj, no run, good length and bang on the stumps, Maharaj gets right behind the line to defend to cover

Maharaj back on strike and just 2 balls left of Mohammad Wasim Jr's spell. Then it's all spinners. Pakistan have to win it here one feels.