Pakistan vs South Africa – 1st T20 – Mohammad Rizwan and Usman Qadir Light up the Gaddafi Stadium
Pakistan has had a tremendous run in T20s over its international history. It has the most wins of any international nation (97 before this match) and the third highest winning percentage amongst test nations (trailing only Afghanistan and India). However, an area Pakistan has sorely lacked in has been the ability for individuals to score big in the format. With only 1 T20 international hundred ever scored in its history (A blistering 111* by Ahmed Shehzad all the way back in 2014 against Bangladesh) it is perhaps only fitting that Pakistan’s most dependable batsman of late; its Test Cricketer of the Year, its Man of The Series, and its superb wicketkeeper, Mohammad Rizwan is the one to add to that tally with a ridiculous 104* off 64 balls as he carried the bat through the entirety of Pakistan’s innings.
Fearing the dew late, South Africa won the toss and chose to bowl first on a dry pitch. In an innings of two halves, Mohammad Rizwan’s first 30 balls only accounted for 31 runs. He soaked up the early pressure and turned it back around on the South Africans in terrific fashion as his next 34 balls were blitzed for 73 runs! Often criticized for a perceived inability to hit the long ball, Mohammad Rizwan shut those critics up handsomely in an innings headlined by 6 fours and 7 sixes! The best part of it was the effortlessness with which he used the pace of bowlers like Junior Dala and Andile Phehlukwayo against them, often picking up the delivery and depositing it between fine leg to midwicket with nothing but pure timing.
At the end of it all, Pakistan totaled 169/6 which was a great recovery from the early loss of its talisman Babar Azam in the first over. However, it looked like the total may not be enough as Janneman Malan took the sword to the Pakistani quicks. South Africa plundred 51/0 in the powerplay and on an outfield that was requiring constant trips from the super sopper, it seemed that Rizwan’s effort may go to waste. Enter Usman Qadir.
In a 4 over period, he took the winds out of the sails from the South Africans chase from which they could never catch up. Beginning with a delivery that would have done his father proud he tore through the defenses of Malan with a ripping leg break that took out the off stump after pitching just around leg. If the leg break had proven to be troublesome to the South African batsmen, it would be the googly that would render Usman unplayable on this night. Darting in wickedly from outside off stump with a minimal change of action, Jacques Snyman was left thoroughly bamboozled as it crashed into his leg stump as well.
This was to be Rizwan’s night however as the match was effectively sealed late via a superman runout by the Pakistani wicketkeeper. Reeza Hendricks had played a wonderful knock and at 37 from 18 balls, the game was effectively in the balance. An inside edge to a slower ball from Haris Rauf left Hendricks confused as he didn’t know where the ball went and by the time he realized a run wasn’t on it was too late. Mohammad Rizwan scooped the ball up in a flash and threw down the stumps with a dive that would make Jonty Rhodes proud. The rest, as they say, was elementary as Pakistan pulled out a 3 run win and move onto the next game with a chance to wrap up the series.
Pakistan goes up 1-0 in the 3 match series with the next game scheduled for Saturday February 13th.
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