Pakistan opening batsman Fakhar Zaman sent the cricketing world into a frenzy when he hammered 193 off 155 balls during the second ODI against South Africa in Johannesburg on Sunday. Zaman, who stunned India with a century in the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy, played another scintillating knock, almost securing a series win for Pakistan.
The only double-centurion in ODIs for Pakistan, Zaman was on his way to becoming just the second player in history to score multiple ODI double centuries after India's Rohit Sharma, but missed the feat by seven runs getting run out in the final over.
None the less, it takes nothing away from the fact that Zaman played one of the most entertaining knocks in ODI cricket that comes to recent memory. Zaman's 193 is the highest individual innings registered by a batsman in ODIs in a chase, and although it wasn't enough to get Pakistan over the line, the innings was a testament and a blueprint of a top-order batsman rallying with the lower order.
To say that Zaman did not enjoy good form coming into the match would be factually incorrect. In fact, in the ODI series against Sri Lanka in September/October last year, the left-handed opening batsman has peeled off successive half-centuries, but neither comes even close to the knock he dished out at the Wanderers. To a certain extent, even his career-best 210 not out would pale in regard to the situation in which tonight's 193 runs were scored.
With Pakistan chasing a daunting 342 to win, Zaman led a one-man show, with the next highest score after his was captain Babar Azam’s 31. With Pakistan reduced to 186/6, all doors seemed shut before Zaman took over and went berserk. It wasn't until the final 15 overs of the chase that Zaman suddenly raised hopes of what could have been a remarkable victory for Pakistan. After taking 70 balls to get to his fifty, once Zaman registered his first ODI century in over two years, the batsman broke the shackles and ran roughshod.
{{/usCountry}}With Pakistan chasing a daunting 342 to win, Zaman led a one-man show, with the next highest score after his was captain Babar Azam’s 31. With Pakistan reduced to 186/6, all doors seemed shut before Zaman took over and went berserk. It wasn't until the final 15 overs of the chase that Zaman suddenly raised hopes of what could have been a remarkable victory for Pakistan. After taking 70 balls to get to his fifty, once Zaman registered his first ODI century in over two years, the batsman broke the shackles and ran roughshod.
{{/usCountry}}With wickets falling and asking rate shooting up, Zaman took on South Africa's bowlers and how? Their spinner Tabraiz Shamsi at one stage got hit for five sixes in six balls. With Pakistan reduced to 205/7, Zaman did what he had to, turn down singles. But even in his 68-run partnership with Shaheen Afridi, the tail-ender added just five.
After carting 13 runs off the 48th over, the equation came down to 38 off 12 and by the time 31 were needed off the last six, the pressure was really on. Coming back for a second run, Zaman was run-out from a direct hit from Aiden Markram down at long on, thinking the ball would be coming at the non-striker's end. A tragic end to one of the greatest ODI innings.