South Africa finally broke their T20I series drought which lasted for over two years as they defeated Pakistan in the second of the three-match series in Centurion to take a 2-0 unassailable lead on Friday, December 13. After a defeat in the series opener at Kingsmead, Pakistan came up with a strong response posting a strong total of 206 runs on the board. However, the Proteas duo of Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen with a 157-run stand for the third wicket, made an easy work of what could have been a tricky run-chase.
It wasn’t a great start for South Africa with the bat chasing a big score as Ryan Rickelton and Matthew Breetzke both were back in the hut by the fourth over. No David Miller and with the likes of Hendricks and van der Dussen not being in the best of forms, it almost felt like Heinrich Klaasen vs Pakistan, that remained. Thankfully for the hosts, Hendricks and van der Dussen were quick to throw punches at Pakistan and once they were set, they didn’t let the opposition come back into the game.
Often accused of starting slow, Hendricks smashed Haris Rauf for a couple of back-to-back sixes to make his intentions clear before ending the powerplay on a high with one more in the sixth over off Jahanadad. Hendricks didn’t let any of the bowlers settle as he hit Abbas Afridi’s first ball after the powerplay for a six.
Hendricks, till the eighth over, ensured that South Africa were getting one boundary per over at least before both of them blasted Abbas Afridi for 19 in the next. Hendricks got to his fifty and van der Dussen was just starting to get his bearings.
The duo brought up a 100-run stand in the 14th over and apart from a couple of overs, they both ensured that at least one boundary was scored while getting a big over now and then. After a point it almost seemed too easy as Hendricks cruised to his maiden T20I ton off just 54 balls, becoming the seventh South African batter to do so while van der Dussen scored a rapid half-century.
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Hendricks did get out on 117 but he had done more than his job before skipper Klaasen provided the finishing touches alongside van der Dussen. It was the third-highest successful run-chase in T20Is at SuperSport Park as South Africa achieved a first series win under Rob Walter’s coaching tenure as white-ball coach since March 2023.
Earlier, it was Saim Ayub’s unbeaten 98 combined with cameos from Irfan Khan and Abbas Afridi that pushed Pakistan’s total above 200 but it wasn’t enough as the visitors will be keen to avoid the series sweep less than 24 hours later in Johannesburg.
