Who won PAK vs SA 3rd ODI today? — Match result & turning points
A dominant all-round display by Pakistan meant they secured a 2-1 win over South Africa in the three-match ODI series by winning the contest at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad by seven wickets and 149 balls to spare.
Opting to bat first, the tourists were off to a positive start. They did not lose a wicket inside the powerplay until Salman Ali Agha struck to get rid of Lhuan-dre Pretorius in the 15th over. He struck again shortly after, claiming Tony de Zorzi for just 2 off 14. The fall of Quinton de Kock moments after getting to a half-century triggered a dramatic batting collapse for the Proteas.
Abrar Ahmed was at the forefront of it all for the hosts in the first innings. He ended up with career-best figures of 4/27 in 10 overs. Other than Agha, there were a couple of other Pakistani bowlers who ended with two wickets to their name: Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Nawaz. The Proteas were folded for a paltry 143 in 37.5 overs despite a good start by their opening pair.
In reply, Fakhar Zaman was cleaned up by Nandre Burger for a second consecutive duck on just the second delivery of the run-chase. Babar Azam, who was coming on the back of two underwhelming scores, looked being settled while batting with the free-flowing Saim Ayub. However, he could not make the most of his start. The star batter departed via a run-out after scoring 27 off 32.
Ayub picked out long-on to walk back for a run-a-ball 77. Mohammad Rizwan and Agha were the unbeaten batters. It was a very comprehensive win for the hosts’ side. None of the South African bowlers were incisive enough to pose a challenge, as the target wasn’t a huge one. Skipper Shaheen recorded an ODI series win under his belt in his maiden series in charge of the ODI side.
Top batting performance of the match — Saim Ayub
Ayub had not scored a single run in his first nine balls he faced. However, that fact did not unsettle him one bit. The moment he scored his first boundary, it seemed as if he was batting on another pitch altogether. The southpaw’s innings comprised 11 fours and a six. He scored a magnificent knock that made the win a mere formality for Shaheen & Co.
SAIM AYUB – A SPECIAL TALENT. 🔥
— Sheri. (@CallMeSheri1_) November 8, 2025
Records Broken and Major Milestones Achieved
- Quinton de Kock became the second-quickest batter in international cricket to get to 7000 ODI runs.
- Eight wickets by Pakistan’s spinners became the most for them against South Africa in an ODI innings.
- This series triumph was Pakistan’s first-ever ODI series win against South Africa on home soil.
- De Kock overtook Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers to sit second on the list for the most Player of the Series awards won in ODIs with seven to his name.
Who was the Player of the Match?
Abrar Ahmed was deservedly awarded the Player of the Match award. This was his second four-wicket haul in the format, but also the best figures of his white-ball career thus far. The breathtaking delivery to Rubin Hermann which beat the batter all ends up was an absolute treat to behold.
ABRAR AHMED – THE MAGICIAN. 🪄
– What an absolute ripper. 🤩🔥
— Salman. (@TsMeSalman) November 8, 2025
When is the next match?
With this match, the all-format series has come to an end. After the two-match Test series was drawn, the Men in Green emerged dominant in the white-ball segments, winning both by a 2-1 margin. Pakistan will host Sri Lanka for a three-match ODI series next. On the other hand, the Proteas will tour India for a multi-format series.
India
