Pak vs SA: Fakhar Zaman brings up 5th ODI century in style with boundary

By
Faizan Lakhani
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Web Desk
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Pakistan batsman Fakhar Zaman scored the fifth century of his ODI career on Sunday in style with a boundary, as the side chased a mammoth 342-run target set by South Africa, in the second ODI of a three-match series in Johannesburg.

His fighting knock, however, failed to be the saving grace in what were unfavourable odds against Pakistan.

Read more: South Africa beat Pakistan by 17 runs, level ODI series

The flamboyant batsman, nonetheless, played one of the best ODI knocks today.

The 30-year-old scored 193 off 155 to launch a fight back that brought Pakistan close to chasing the total before being run out on first ball of the final over.

Several records made

Although Fakhar couldn’t win the game for his team but he stormed himself into several record books.

His score of 193 was highest ever by any batsman in ODI run-chases, surpassing Australia’s Shane Watson who had scored 185 vs Bangladesh in 2011.

This is also highest individual score by a Pakistani batsman in an ODI against South Africa. The previous was 135 by Saleem Elahi in 2002.

The score was also the highest by a visiting team’s batsman in South Africa against South Africa. The record was previously held by David Warner who had scored 173 in Cape Town in 2016.

The 193-run knock is also the 2nd best score by any team at any venue against South Africa after an unbeaten 200 by Sachin Tendulkar at Gwalior in 2010.

He smashed 10 sixes in the inning to become only the third batsman to hit ten or more shots for maximum against South Africa in an inning. Martin Guptil with 11 sixes leads the chart while Abdul Razzaq had also smashed 10 sixes during his famous 109* at Abu Dhabi in 2010.

The inning lasted for 224 minutes which is longest innings in terms of minutes in South Africa by a non-South African batsman.

The 193-run total by Fakhar is also the second highest individual score in a losing cause after 194* by Zimbabwe’s Charles Coventry against Bangladesh in 2009.