Pakistan have created history in South Africa becoming the first team to whitewash the Proteas at home. They won the third ODI by 36 runs at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. Their form in the lead-up to the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy is a warning to other teams as the men in green have been on a rampage winning in Australia, Zimbabwe and now in South Africa.
Their won the ODI series in Australia for the first time in 21 years and then beat Zimbabwe 2-1 after losing the opening game. In South Africa, they never let the home team dominate and won all three matches of the series to create history.
Like the second ODI, even the final game of the series faced rain interruption early. The match was then reduced to 47 overs per side with Saim Ayub yet again standing up for the visitors. Despite losing Abdullah Shafique for a duck for the third consecutive time in the series, Ayub didn't deter and played a fantastic knock.
He stitched a partnership of 115 runs with Babar Azam and then added 93 runs with skipper Mohammad Rizwan to notch up his second century of the series. The left-hander got out in the 35th over but not before scoring 101 runs off 94 deliveries with 13 fours and two sixes to his name. Babar and Rizwan also scored contrasting half-centuries and the real impetus to the innings was provided by Salman Agha who smashed 48 runs off 33 deliveries.
Thanks to their stealthy contributions, Pakistan scored 308 runs for the loss of nine wickets in their 47 overs. In response, only Heinrich Klaasen, for the third time in three matches, threatened to take the game away from Pakistan. He scored his third consecutive fifty to smash 81 runs off 43 balls with 12 fours and two sixes. Corbin Bosch also showed a fight down the order scoring an unbeaten 40 even as the other South Africa batters lost their wickets cheaply.
South Africa got bundled out in just 42 overs for 271 succumbing to a 36-run loss losing the ODI series at home 3-0 for the first time.
