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Quinton de Kock, known for his astute technique, became the player to wallop the third-most centuries for South Africa in ODIs after his batting masterclass steered the Proteas to an emphatic 8-wicket win over Pakistan at Faisalabad's Iqbal Stadium in the second fixture to level the series 1-1.
The flamboyant southpaw engineered an unbeaten 123(119), a knock riddled with luck, to knock Pakistan off the perch and gun down a modest 270-run target in the second ODI. With another classic performance, de Kock's tally soared to 22, taking him past Herschelle Gibbs' 21 ODI tons. The 123* was de Kock's first hundred since reversing his retirement, a decision he took after the 2023 World Cup. While pursuing the target, de Kock received an unprecedented lifeline after he attempted to flick the ball but sent it straight to Mohammad Nawaz, who got both of his hands on it but allowed it to pop out. He never looked back and thwacked Saim Ayub for an 80m maximum. In the next over, he punished Mohammad Wasim Jr with another towering 77m maximum. After the 81-run opening partnership ended with the dismissal of Lhuan-dre Pretorius on 46(40), de Kock raised a 153-run stand with Tony de Zorzi, the second-highest partnership for South Africa against Pakistan in Pakistan. Tony de Zorzi also received a revival after Faheem Ashraf spilt his chance at deep mid-wicket. He eventually holed out to Ashraf off Saim Ayub and returned with a swift 76(63). Quinton de Kock stayed unbeaten and completed the 270-run chase with 59 balls to spare, with stand-in captain Matthew Breetzke giving him company at the other end on 17* off 21. Earlier, South Africa's formidable bowling duo, Nandre Burger (4/46) and Nqaba Peter (3/55), wreaked havoc on Pakistan's top order, reducing them to 22/3 within five overs. Burger's fiery spell claimed the wickets of Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan, severely restricting Pakistan's early scoring opportunities. Pakistan's middle order, led by Saim Ayub's 53 and Salman Ali Agha's 69, struggled to build momentum, with both batting at strike rates below 90. Mohammad Nawaz provided crucial resistance, scoring a career-best 59, including two sixes, in a late partnership with Agha, helping Pakistan reach a modest total of 269/9. (ANI)
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