The ODI series between Pakistan and South Africa now comes down to a thrilling finale in the third and final match, with the series perfectly poised at 1-1. The series has been a tale of two matches at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad: Pakistan clinched a tense two-wicket victory in the opener, successfully chasing 264, before South Africa delivered a dominant eight-wicket thrashing in the second, propelled by an unbeaten century from Quinton de Kock to comfortably chase 270. All eyes turn to the series decider, where Pakistan will seek to restore their winning form in front of their home crowd, while the Proteas aim to capitalise on their superior performance and level up their overall Head-to-Head advantage in the format.
PAK vs SA, 3rd ODI: Match Details
- Date and Time: November 8 (Saturday); 2:30 pm IST/ 2:00 pm Local
- Venue: Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
PAK vs SA, Head-to-Head Record (ODIs)
Matches played: 89 | Pakistan won: 35 | South Africa: 53 | No results: 1
Iqbal Stadium Pitch Report
The Iqbal Stadium pitch remains a highly advantageous surface for batters, having produced competitive totals in both previous matches. The last game highlighted that the surface, while balanced, makes chasing a much easier proposition, particularly with the possibility of dew negating the impact of the bowlers in the second innings. The average first-innings score at this venue in recent ODIs is around 232, but higher totals are now expected. The toss will be extremely crucial, with a strong preference for the team winning it to bowl first and back their batters to successfully chase.
Team dynamics and key players
Pakistan: The home side needs a stronger performance from its top order, especially Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman, who have struggled in the last two outings. The middle-order stability provided by Salman Ali Agha (Player of the Match in the 1st ODI) and Mohammad Rizwan, along with the all-round contributions of Mohammad Nawaz, will be key to a high total. Captain Shaheen Afridi and pacer Naseem Shah must utilise the new ball effectively, as the home bowlers were dismantled in the second match.
South Africa: South Africa carries significant momentum into the decider, largely due to De Kock’s explosive century and the impressive bowling of the young pace attack, particularly Nandre Burger, who ran through Pakistan’s top order in the 2nd ODI. The top three batters, including Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Tony de Zorzi, have fired collectively. Their young middle-order led by captain Matthew Breetzke will be looking to maintain consistency, while the spin of Bjorn Fortuin and Nqabayomzi Peter will be vital in controlling the middle overs.
PAK vs SA, 3rd ODI: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- Pakistan wins the toss and bats first
- Pakistan powerplay score: 50-60 (10 overs)
- Pakistan total score: 265-275
Case 2:
- South Africa wins the toss and bats first
- South Africa powerplay score: 55-65 (10 overs)
- South Africa total score: 270-285
Match result: South Africa to win the series decider.
