Quinton de Kock returned to the heart of South African cricket with a statement innings – a chanceless 123* that powered the Proteas to a commanding victory in Rawalpindi and squared the ODI series at 1-1. Chasing 270, South Africa made the target look 30 runs too small, getting home with 59 balls to spare and only two wickets down, in a performance that mixed cold control with bursts of flair.
Where Pakistan laboured, South Africa flowed. Where Pakistan needed rescuing, South Africa never looked troubled. And fittingly, it was de Kock – the man coaxed out of international retirement – who walked off unbeaten, reminding everyone that class does not retire, even when the player does.
Burger and Peter Make Their Mark
Before the batsmen strutted in the sun, South Africa’s fringe bowlers set the tone under morning haze. Nandre Burger, bowling with the snap and hostility that has made him a rising force, ripped through Pakistan’s top order with 4 for 46 – his best in ODI cricket. His third ball of the day sent Fakhar Zaman gloving a short one to the keeper, and soon after, both Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were walking back, undone by movement and pace.
Legspinner Nqabayomzi Peter, playing only his second ODI, backed Burger superbly. His 3 for 55 did not just remove middle-order resistance; it applied a squeeze Pakistan never quite escaped. With Corbin Bosch, Donovan Ferreira and Bjorn Fortuin keeping the run rate on life support, Pakistan crawled to 131 for 5 after 30 overs.
It took Mohammad Nawaz, not known for batting pyrotechnics, to jolt the innings into respectability. His unbeaten 59 off 59 balls – the quickest fifty of his career – dragged Pakistan to 269 for 9, a total that felt competitive in idea but not in execution.
South Africa Show What Timing Looks Like
From the moment Lhuan-dre Pretorius caressed his first boundary, South Africa seemed to be playing on a different surface. The left-handed pair of Pretorius and de Kock put on 81 for the first wicket with touches of audacity – Pretorius taking on Naseem Shah early, de Kock picking his moments against Afridi.
When Pretorius fell flashing wide on 43, Tony de Zorzi entered with the calmness of a man who knew exactly what the chase required. He and de Kock built in silence first, 35 runs across the next seven overs, then shifted gears in stereo. De Kock lifted Faheem Ashraf for six to reach fifty; de Zorzi unfurled reverse sweeps, slog-sweeps, and drives that turned Nawaz into a free-run dispenser.
De Zorzi’s 76 came off just 71 deliveries, and 27 of those runs came in 13 balls against Nawaz alone. By the time he was dismissed – trying to lift Faheem over point – the game was already sealed.
De Kock Finishes the Job
If the start was smooth, the finish was pure theatre. Sitting on 98, de Kock survived an lbw review that pitched outside leg, then reached his hundred two balls later. Pakistan reviewed again immediately – same verdict, same result. The reviews never threatened his wicket; nothing Pakistan threw at him did. He ended unbeaten on 123* off 113 balls, stroking the winning runs with Matthew Breetzke beside him, the latter barely needing to break a sweat.
South Africa’s chase was the kind that drains belief from an opposition. Eight bowlers used. No reverse swing miracle. No mystery spin. Just a slow bleed, then a slice, then the end.
Pakistan’s Problem? Not Talent – Tempo
Pakistan’s innings was a story of two half-centuries and one full-length struggle. Saim Ayub’s 50 off 62 and Salman Agha’s 69 off 89 were neat but never threatening. Their strike rates – 80.30 and 65.09 – highlighted the broader issue: Pakistan were batting for survival in a format that demands acceleration.
Their last 10 overs yielded 84 runs – but without Nawaz’s late brilliance, this could easily have been 240.
South Africa, by contrast, never let run rate enter the conversation. They played with clarity: see ball, hit ball, trust the pitch, trust the plan.
Series Decider Awaits
And so the tour comes down to one last ODI in Faisalabad. South Africa, buoyed by the return of their headline act and the emergence of new bowling options, have momentum. Pakistan have questions – mostly around intent, and how long they can rely on 1990s pacing in a 2025 world.
The numbers say this was an eight-wicket win. The mood says it was a statement.
The Proteas have arrived. Again.
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