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3rd Test: Australia wins Sydney Test (scorecard), South Africa won Test Series 2-1.. T20 & ODI series follows.
Current Cricket Series : South Africa vs Australia, West Indies vs New Zealand. Coming Up : India in NZ 2009.

Pakistan allow Proteas a comeback

Filed under Pak vs RSA

Pollock-Mom-Multan.jpg Talk about mentally tough cricket teams - South Africans are much higher in the list as compared to Pakistani team. Somehow, after going 2-1 down in the ODI series - this game going to South Africans appeared obvious.. before it started.

Knowing there would be dew in the second innings under lights - Shoaib Mallik opted to bat first and made it very tough for his spinners (Afridi & Abdur Rehman) to grip the ball when artificial light flashed over Multan cricket stadium. 231 Pakistan were defending, made mainly because of fighting/impressive 82 by Younus Khan.

Misbah-ul-Haq, who has been batting very well for Pakistan since T20 world cup, looked completely out of sorts (Proteas bowled lots of slower deliveries to him) & destroyed the momentum made by Younis Khan. Kamran Akmal and Abdur Rehman brought little respectability onto Pak innings - but defending 231 under soggy outfield.

South Africa had their plans straight - make runs off the new ball and take singles when spinners come in. Sending Shaun Pollock as pinch hitter worked wonderfully and South Africa notched up the winning runs with absolute no problems at all.

The scorelines
Hameed 10, Afridi 0, Yousuf 5,
Younis 82(110, 6x4, 2x6), Misbah 7,
Mallik 45(54), Akmal 28, Rehman 31.
Pakistan : 230 for 9 in 50 overs.
South Africa : 233 for 3 in 37.4 ovs.
Smith 81, Gibbs 39 off 35 balls.
Pollock 90 (84B, 9x4, 1x6), Kallis 6*.

Few Notes :
-This was 51st odi between South Africa and Pakistan. 34 to Proteas and only 16 to Pakistanis.

-Shaun Pollock batted at number 3 for the first time, but it wasn't his first man of the match award for sure. Pollock has been player of the ODI for 21 times now. Wonder who has won most man of the match awards - Its Sachin Tendulkar with 55 awards till date.
The 294 match veteran all rounder has his highest score in odis as 130, and today's 90 off 84 balls was his second highest score in limited overs cricket.

-The 5th and series deciding one day international, which was to be played at National stadium in Karachi - will now be played at Lahore on 29th October - Monday.. this was done due to security reasons after some bomb blasts in Pakistani capital.




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