Quinton de Kock made his international return with a bang, hitting his 22nd ODI century as South Africa tied the series with Pakistan. The wicketkeeper-batsman was the main contributor in the run chase and led the visitors to a total victory of eight wickets while chasing 270 with 59 balls left.

Dominant batting display by Quinton De Kock after clinical bowling effort

Quinton De Kock partnered with Tony de Zorzi for a 153-run second-wicket stand after adding 81 with Lhuan-dre Pretorius for the first wicket. The partnerships allowed South Africa’s chase to remain in full flow. The timing and authority exhibited in De Kock’s unbeaten knock were complemented by Breetzke at the other end, as the Proteas easily sealed the victory.

Pakistan’s decision to bat first was a mistake that forced them to play a good innings, although half-centuries from Saim Ayub and Salman Agha were there to soften the blow. Their modest strike rates, 80.30 and 65.09 respectively, were the main reason for the slow progress, and it was only thanks to Mohammad Nawaz’s career-best 59 off 59 balls that Pakistan managed to score 269.

The bowling department of South Africa which included Nandre Burger and Nqabayomzi Peter who made a comeback, was the one to take the leading role and displayed their career-best performances of 4 for 46 and 3 for 55 respectively. The trio of Corbin Bosch, Donovan Ferreira, and Bjorn Fortuin was also involved by the bowlers in keeping the run-rate down.

Pretorius was the one who got the ball rolling for South Africa straight away with his capped boundaries, while de Kock was able to establish his tempo very early on with a classic punch through the covers. The batter earlier than him, Pretorius, had an opportunity but Pakistan did not take it and hence, the flow of runs became one-sided after that.

With the outcome of the series hanging in the balance at 1-1, the third and last ODI in Faisalabad on Saturday will not only determine who the winner is but will also bring an end to the South African all-format tour of Pakistan.