The pitch at Karachi for the second ICC 2025 Champions Trophy game at the National Stadium looked like a typical Australian pitch, and the media were briefed that the clay content was imported from WACA in Perth which was great to see which Temba Bavuma and his men maximized to a comprehensive 107-run win with opening batsman Ryan Rickleton leading the way with a handsome 103 in a run orgy stroll in the park total of 315 for 6 wickets.
The pitch looked hard a semi green top with cracks just ideal for the South African fast bowlers to exploit whilst opponents Afghanistan not having the luxury of tall fast bowlers like South Africa but having to depend on their spin trio of Mohd Nabi, Rashid Khan and Noir Ahmad. As anticipated, Afghanistan seam bowlers lacked the height that South African seamers Rabada Kagisgo, Marco Jansen, and Lungi Ngidi possess by their physical structure.
South Africa had to bench Klassan Henrich due to a finger injury. Hence, they gave Rassi Vaner Dussan an opportunity to bat at number 3 with Aiden Markram and David Miller to handle the Afghanistan spin threat in the middle overs and the plan paid dividends.
South Africa played 4 seamers and one spinner in Keshav Maharaj whilst Afghanistan picked their 3 top line spinners with Fazalhaq Farooqi, given the responsibility with part time seam support from Azmatulla Omzarai.
Winning the toss South African Skipper Temba Bavuma gleefully opted to bat first.
The South African batters made hay as they thumped the Afghan bowlers to all parts of the park to anassing a match winning score of 315 runs for 6 wickets.
Opener Ryan Rickleton, who mauled the lacklustre Afghanistan attack at will was ultimately run out in bizarre fashion in op scoring with 103, Temba Bavuma 58, Vander Dussen 57 off 46 deliveries and Aiden Markram unbeaten on 51 off 32 deliveries.
Afghanistan looked tired and sloppy on the field during the on slaught. Their ground fielding let them down to a great extent which the match commentators pin pointed stating that they looked more of a T 20 team than a one day team of the 50 over format.
They did control the power play overs by conceding only 46 runs, Although Afghanistan is known to claw their way back in the middle overs with their class spin attack, however, this was not to be , they leaked 184 runs in the mid overs – a runrate of 6.13 with sloppy ground fielding whilst their spin trio found no response from the Karachi Subcontinent conditions.
Rashid Khan went wicketless for 59 runs, and Noor Ahmed looked mediocre with his left arm wrist spin guilty of bowling far too many wides conceding 65 runs for 1 wicket with 3rd spinner Mohd Nabi scalping a wicket off his first delivery for a 2 for 51 take.
Rashid Khan is a threat to any batting unit in the world. But in Karachi, he went wicketless as the South African batters reading the pitch, not responding to spin, targeted the leg spinner in both his first and second spell.
David Miller is known for his carnage in the death overs. However, he has his limitations against left arm wrist spin . It was appaling to note that Noor Ahmed could not exploit his weakness against his own bowling.
Mohd Nabi is an excellent off spinner he was forced to bowl more arm deliveries than his stock deliveries due to the pitch not responding.
The above restrictions are no excuses. That’s what international cricket challenges any team on the big stage. South Africa made 85 runs in the death overs and lost 3 wickets after being Conservative from the 40th to the 45th over, after which the Aiden Markram shoulders opened for which Afghanistan had no reply.
Sadly, Afghanistan lost Gurbaz with the toal on 16, after which the Afghanistan batters
