RSA VS PAK - 3rd T20I, Pakistan tour of South Africa, 2021

Pakistan have been so good! They came back well with the ball in the later half of the SA innings and then with the bat had their openers doing everything correct. They barely put a foot wrong. Babar and Rizwan started off matching each other stroke for stroke before Babar just raced away. He actually seems to have raced away from everyone in world batting in white ball cricket. Creating a league of his own. He doesn't hit them hard but hits them where it hurts. Such precision and control in the shortest format of the game is a rare gift. SA are inexperienced and are thin on resources but they need to lift their game as the next game will have the series on the line. Pakistan after this are massive favorites. On that note, this is Kumar Abhisekh Das, in complete awe of Babar, signing off on behalf of Rishi Roy, Sagar Chawla and Siva.

Babar Azam | Man of the Match | Winning Captain: I really felt good. I was waiting for a knock like this. I focus on my strength. I want to continue like that. When the rate is around 10, you need to take a few more risks. Rizwan had fasting (Ramadan) but he did extremely well. Batted well and also kept for 20 overs. A dream in one day cricket has come true. I have made a lot of sacrifices for that and lot of effort has gone into this. I have always wanted to keep learning everyday. You need to change and evolve everyday in modern day cricket. Credit to SA openers as they played really good cricket in the first 10 overs.

Heinrich Klaasen | Losing captain: Tough to explain. We were 10-15 short. Lost a bit of momentum in the back end. We tried a lot of things but they made us look bad. Lot to think about after tonight. We played a lot of cricket at this stadium. 200 is not enough on this ground. We needed to be on our A game with the ball. There was no complacency. 10 odd runs would have been par. You needed to be exceptional on the field here. One thing we have been guilty of in this series has been none of our batters have gone to a big score after getting a fifty. They have done that extremely well.

Ankit: I feel for SA, they definitely missing service of their prime players who left them for the IPL.

MOHIT: What a way to celebrate becoming the number one odi batsman in the world. This innings should be enough for the world to accept that it is Fab 5 instead of Fab 4 now

17:50 Local Time, 15:50 GMT, 21:20 IST: In case you have missed Babar's knock, then you have committed an act of blasphemy. He oozed class throughout. The only thing that was out of place in his innings was the loud roar he came up with after his ton. Barring that everything was like slow poison. It kept harming the hosts but they just couldn't do anything about it. He played some delectable shots by playing it late and playing almost every ball on its merit. He had Rizwan for company who carried on with his purple patch and extended it further. SA bowlers looked like net bowlers who didn't stand a chance against the visitors. The openers were just too good. The visitors have taken a 2-1 lead and thoroughly deserve it given their domination with the bat in this game. What could SA have done differently? NOTHING. You just sit back and doff your hat when someone plays like this. Yes, the execution could have been slightly better from the inexperienced bowling attack but trust me Babar converted every inch into an acre during this knock. 100 off 49 balls without a slog tells you how sweetly it went off his willow.

Williams to Fakhar Zaman, FOUR, the annihilation act is completed. SA will do well to forget this. EVER! May be never. That was a pitched up delivery and Fakhar Zaman slammed it down the ground for the ball to spiral away into the fence. Pakistan thump SA by 9 wickets while chasing 205 and that too with two overs to chase

Williams to Fakhar Zaman, FOUR, short, gets the edge but it was educated enough to flay away fine for a four. Only three now

Fakhar Zaman, left handed bat, comes to the crease

Williams to Babar Azam, out Caught by Klaasen!! Babar Azam is a human! Finally he has made an error. The flawless knock has come to an end. One of the best T20 knocks ever. Anyone who says T20 is a power game, just ask him to watch this on a loop. Standing ovation from all and sundry. That was banged in, outside off and Babar Azam tried to ramp it. Got a faint edge to the keeper. Babar Azam c Klaasen b Williams 122(59) [4s-15 6s-4]

Williams to Babar Azam, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Williams to Rizwan, 1 run, slower delivery and has been pulled down to fine leg for a single. 7 more needed now

Williams to Babar Azam, 1 run, backs away, exposes the sticks and pats the yorkerish delivery to deep third for a single. Seeing em' like a football now

Williams to Rizwan, 1 run, cheeky steer and ends up finding the man at deep third for a single. Only 10 more

FYI: 121* from Babar is the highest score by a Pakistani in a T20I. This game will be etched forever.

Magala to Rizwan, 1 run, Rizwan would be disappointed. That was a full toss on the pads and Rizwan whipped it away but ended up finding the man at deep square to his left. Only a single

Magala to Babar Azam, 1 run, silks that one to long-on for a single. The end is nigh. They have been amazing

Magala to Babar Azam, 2 runs, clips the fuller ball away into the on-side for a brace

Magala to Babar Azam, FOUR, the fav four of world cricket has to make way for a fav five now! This man has got a four from a good ball here. Was a good yorker. Babar Azam met it with a slightly open face and jammed it out fine for a four towards third man

Magala to Babar Azam, FOUR, low full toss again and put away again. Finds the gap again. The man with the midas touch just doesn't relent. Batting of the highest order

Magala to Rizwan, 1 run, low full toss and it goes off the inner half of the bat to long-on for a single

Sisanda Magala [2.0-0-25-0] is back into the attack