South Africa successfully avoided a series whitewash by Afghanistan, clinching a convincing seven-wicket victory in the third and final One Day International (ODI) on Sunday. The win was fueled by a composed innings from Aiden Markram, who remained unbeaten on 69 runs, guiding South Africa to a comfortable 170-3 with 17 overs to spare.
This victory came after Afghanistan’s batting lineup, which had performed exceptionally well in the first two matches, experienced a significant collapse in the third. They were bowled out for a meager 169 in 34 overs, marking their first defeat in the series.
In the first two games, a relatively inexperienced South African team had succumbed to low scores of 106 and 134. However, Markram’s gritty 67-ball innings showcased his temperament and adaptability to the slow conditions at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. He paced the chase effectively, ensuring a comfortable win.
Earlier, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who had scored a century in the previous match, was the lone bright spot for Afghanistan, contributing a solid 89 runs from 94 balls after they chose to bat first. However, none of the other top eight Afghan batters managed to score more than 10 runs, with three of them falling victim to run-outs. While No. 9 batter AM Ghazanfar displayed some aggression with a quickfire 31 off 15 balls, South Africa maintained control throughout the innings thanks to the disciplined bowling performances of Lungi Ngidi, Nqabayomzi Peter, and Andile Phehlukwayo, who each claimed two wickets.
