The 2023 ODI World Cup really needed a nail-biting thriller, and it got one on Friday night. After 25 games that bore considerable victory margins, the showpiece 50-over tournament finally produced a bonafide close encounter. Chasing a target of 271, South Africa lost their way around the 40th over as Pakistan left them eight wickets down with 21 runs still to get. But lower-order batter Keshav Maharaj held his nerve to see the Proteas through to a one-wicket win at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The narrow loss left Pakistan on the brink of group-stage elimination.