PAK Win By 4 Wickets | Pakistan vs South Africa Highlights of 3rd T20I 2025: Babar Azam's Half-Century Powers Stuttering Pakistan to Victory

That's It! Pakistan finishes the job. Messy but they managed to get over the line. After the loss in the first game, they take the series 2-1 in their favour. Babar Azam made his T20 comeback memorable by scoring a half-century and that innings made the difference in the end. South Africa will be disappointed with their batting display and they will need to work on it. Pakistan, meanwhile, will celebrate. 

Out! Another one departs and this time it is Mohammad Nawaz. Can South Africa make a game out of this. It is the short ball again. This time Andile Simelane, draws the batter Mohammad Nawaz into the pull and the inside edge crashes onto the stumps. South Africa will hope against hope here. Mohammad Nawaz b Simelane 0 (1). 

Out! Another wicket. Pakistan are making a meal of an easy job. Clumsy from the Pakistan batters. Another batter goes for the pull and this time it is Hasan Nawaz. Mistimes it straight to the hands of the deep fielder. Hasan Nawaz c Hendricks b Williams 5 (8). 

Out! Big wicket. But once again too late. Pakistan are nearing victory and they are in a comfortable position. Babar Azam was playing really good and he took Pakistan to this position. But this time he was not precise enough. Round the wicket bouncer from Corbin Bosch. Babar Azam goes for the pull but mistimes it straight to the hand of the backward square leg. Babar Azam c Hendricks b Bosch 68 (47). 

Out! Salman Ali Agha departs. But it seems the wicket came too late. Lizaad Williams kept it short of length on the off, Salman tried to pull it. Got only a top edge and the ball lobbed to Andile Simelane in covers. Pakistan need only 20 runs to win and still a lot of balls remaining. Salman Agha c Simelane b Williams 33 (26). 

South Africa are gradually fading out of the game and the man behind it is none other than Babar Azam. He has made this innings count as he is controlling the chase and as powered Pakistan well ahead in this game. They now just have to close it down. 

Fifty! A fantastic half-century from Babar Azam. A fluent innings by the former Pakistan captain. Three outstanding boundaries to bring up his fifty. South Africa is feeling the pressure here, and Babar will look to finish this match for Pakistan by taking them home.

Babar Azam and Salman Agha will be crucial for Pakistan in this tricky run chase. Meanwhile, South Africa will look to remove these two as quickly as possible to build pressure on the hosts.

After losing the first wicket early, Babar Azam and Sahibzada Farhan have dropped anchors. They have eyed a cautious start and tried to avoid collapse as they know the target is not very big and can be pushed for later in the innings when they are set. South Africa as a result have failed to build on their start in the powerplay. Pakistan look to go long with two set batters out on crease. 

Out! Saim Ayub returns to scoring a duck again! A good innings last game but not this time. Charges down to a length ball from Corbin Bosch, tries to go above mid-on but plays it straight to the hands of the fielder. He will have to return for naught. South Africa strike early. Saim Ayub c Ferreira b Bosch 0 (6). 

A handy cameo comes from all-rounder Corbin Bosch at the end of the South African innings and it gives them enough to get to a competitive total after a very poor start. At one point Donovan Ferreira made it look like South Africa will turn things around but then two wickets flattened it. Pakistan will be confident to chase this total down but South Africa have something to bowl at. 

Out! Andile Simelane departs after playing a useful cameo. Short ball from Salman Nizar angled into the body and Simelane went for the pull. Only got a top edge which was grabbed by the deep mid-wicket fielder comfortably. South Africa need a solid finish here as Pakistan continue to chip in. Andile Simelane c Shaheen Shah Afridi b Salman Mirza 13 (10). 

Out! Big wicket for debutant Usman Tariq. Reeza Henricks was keeping the innings together while anchoring the knock from one side. He was trying to amp up the scoring rate with a few shots. Went for the sweep shot against Usman Tariq but only got a top edge on it. The square leg fielder took a good catch in the end. Big wicket for Pakistan. Reeza Hendricks c Hasan Nawaz b Usman Tariq 34 (36). 

Out! South Africa were getting their foot back into the game but this over has turned things back towards Pakistan. Donovan Ferreira was looking extremely good. Faheem Ashraf's ball was there to be hit and Ferreira tried to clean mid-off. Doesn't get enough elevation and finds the fielder. Next ball, short on off, George Linde commits for the pull and finds the fielder in the circle. George Linde c Hasan Nawaz b Faheem Ashraf 0 (1) and Donovan Ferreira c Agha Salman b Faheem Ashraf 29 (14). 

Out! Breakthrough for a spinner once again and this time Mohammad Nawaz finds success. Perfect ball for a right hand, drops on length and then spins away. Matthew Breetzke went for a drive but the ball turned enough to miss his bat and wreck on to his stumps. Brilliant delivery from Mohammad Nawaz and Pakistan are controlling the middle overs. Matthew Breetzke b Mohammad Nawaz 1 (4). 

Out! Dewald Brevis tries to bring some momentum in the innings and perishes in the deep. Tries to take on the long-on fielder against Usman Tariq, the ball arrives later due to the pause of Tariq and Brevis finds only height. Babar Azam came in to complete the catch. Big wicket for Pakistan. Dewald Brevis c Babar Azam b Usman Tariq 21 (22). 

Solid powerplay for Pakistan with the ball. Once Shaheen Shah Afridi broke though South Africa's top order, they had to keep searching for solidity and Dewald Brevis alongside Reeza Hendricks have looked to consolidify rather than attack. Pakistan have made some pressing bowling and they will look to double down. 

Out! South Africa in trouble early in the innings. Shaheen Shah Afridi has struck inevitably in his first over and he has removed two left handers. First got Quinton de Kock caught in a push as the inside edge ran onto his stumps. Then he had Lhuan-dre Pretorius flick a slot ball straight to the hands of deep fine leg. He trapped Dewald Brevis LBW but it was overturned on DRS. Top start from Pakistan. Quinton de Kock b Shaheen Shah Afridi 0 and Lhuan-dre Pretorius c Usman Tariq b Shaheen Shah Afridi 0.

South Africa (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis, Matthew Breetzke, Donovan Ferreira, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Andile Simelane, Lizaad Williams, Ottneil Baartman. 

Pakistan (Playing XI): Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Salman Ali Agha (c), Usman Khan (wk), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Tariq.