Super Sixes SRL | SA vs PAK Evaluation Chart: Klassen heroics enough as SA topple Pakistan

After being asked to bat first, Pakistan started well, courtesy Babar Azam and Mohammed Hafeez, but things plummeted after that. Although they managed to score runs at a decent pace, the regular dismissals put a brake in the latter half of the innings. With Kagiso Rabada striking on a regular interval, the Asian nation could only reach 167/7 in the stipulated quota of overs.

As usual, Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma started solidly but once Mohammad Amir got the better of the little man, Rassie Van der Dussen took over the responsibility. He rotated the strike effortlessly, while de Kock was at his fluent best. Once the skipper was caught plumb in front by Imad Wasim, Heinrich Klassen came, saw and not only conquered but bothered with surgical precision. The game became a cakewalk and South Africa walked away as the winner.

The dismissal of Babar Azam in the 10th Over had to be the game-changing moment of the day. Although Pakistan were slow in their approach, he was one player who could have changed the direction of the game just like that. His dismissal not just destroyed that hope, but it had also started a flurry of wickets  - something Pakistan would have hardly liked.  

When you are defending a par total, the focus has to be on wicket-taking and not containing the runs. Pakistan did well to contain it in the first two phases of the game, but the inability to break the partnership resulted in the Saffers walking away with the game with minimal fuss.

It has become something of a recurrence in Pakistan set-up to take it easy in the powerplay before making up for that in the middle and death. Somehow, the tactic didn’t reap dividends in later overs but you can’t fault Babar Azam and Mohammed Hafeez for the same. They stuck to their plan, added 56 runs without losing a wicket as Pakistan raced to 56/0 in the time frame.

75 runs were scored in the nine-over period of the powerplay but Pakistan lost four wickets. The saddening factor for Pakistan was the way things transpired once Azam was sent back to the hut. Spinners strangulated from one end, while Andile Phehlukwayo and Dwaine Pretorius choked them from the other end to destroy their dreams of putting up a big score. 

Once the branch is broken, the dream of having fruit is as good as over. It happened to Pakistan as the lower middle order failed to muster any steam in the last five overs, but Kagiso Rabada had a role to play in it. He was devastating with the old ball, making Asif Ali struggle to the core. Once Ali was dismissed, things were clearer for South Africa to restrict them to 167 at the end.

Of course, Heinrich Klassen dazzled the stage with a fantastic fifty lower down the order but that was about it. There was no more charm about the game, with pretty much everything going down the route of a conventional game of cricket.