A humdinger of a contest between Pakistan and South Africa in Chennai on Friday saw the Proteas escaping with a one-wicket victory over the 1992 champions. In a tense ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match, South Africa dismissed Pakistan for 270 and then returned to overhaul the target, scoring 271 for 9 in 47.2 overs with Aiden Markram top-scoring with a 93-ball 91. Marco Jansen (3/43), Gerald Coetzee (2/42) and Lungi Ngidi (1/45) shared six wickets among them. Earlier, opting to bat, skipper Babar Azam made a 65-ball 50, while Saud Shakeel and Shadab Khan contributed run-a-ball 52 and 36-ball 43, respectively. (As It Happened | Scorecard | Photos | Full Coverage)
South Africa thus registered their first World Cup win against Pakistan since the 1999 edition while Babar Azam & Co. suffered a fourth successive defeat in the 2023 edition. The win helped the Proteas take the first giant step towards reaching yet another World Cup semi-finals. Pakistan are heading towards the exit door.
With that here's a look at the all key stats and numbers from the 26th match of the ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 between Pakistan and South Africa:
- Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first in this game to provide the 225th occasion of a team doing so in the ODI Cricket World Cup. It also provided the 25th occasion of Pakistan doing so in the World Cup.
- This was the 19th occasion of a team opting to bat first against South Africa in World Cup games. It also provided the fourth occasion of Pakistan doing so in a World Cup game against South Africa.
- Pakistan were dismissed all out for 270 in this game to provide the 329th occasion of a team getting all out in an innings in the World Cup. It also provided the 28th occasion of Pakistan getting all out in the World Cup.
- For the 144th time, a team batting first in the World Cup got all out. For Pakistan, this was the 11th occasion to get out all batting first in the World Cup.
- Babar Azam scored 50 in this game to provide the 191st occasion of a captain scoring a fifty in an innings in the World Cup. It also provided the 20th occasion of a Pakistan captain scoring a fifty in the World Cup.
- Babar Azam's knock provided the sixth occasion of a captain scoring an exact fifty in an innings in the World Cup. It also provided the second occasion of a Pakistan captain scoring an exact fifty in the World Cup. Azam also scored an exact fifty against India at Ahmadabad on 14.10.23, making him the only captain in World Cup history to score an exact fifty on two occasions. Against South Africa, he became the second captain to score an exact fifty. Stephen Fleming of New Zealand had scored an exact fifty at St George’s on 14.04.2007.
- Babar Azam's knock presented the 49th occasion of a batter scoring an exact fifty or fifty not out in an innings in the World Cup. It also provided the sixth occasion of a Pakistan batter scoring a fifty or fifty not out in the World Cup. He became the fourth batter to score an exact 50 or 50 not out on two occasions.
| Player | Runs | Team | Vs | Ground | Date |
| Babar Azam | 50 | PAK | IND | Ahmedabad | 14-Oct-23 |
| Babar Azam | 50 | PAK | RSA | Chennai | 27-Oct-23 |
| A Ranatunga | 50 | SL | PAK | Faisalabad | 25-Oct-87 |
| A Ranatunga | 50 | SL | KEN | Southampton | 30-May-99 |
| BRM Taylor | 50 | ZIM | WI | Kingston | 19-Mar-07 |
| BRM Taylor | 50 | ZIM | PAK | Brisbane | 01-Mar-15 |
| Yuvraj Singh | 50 no | IND | PAK | Centurion | 01-Mar-03 |
| Yuvraj Singh | 50 no | IND | IRE | Bengaluru | 06-Mar-11 |
- Tabraiz Shamsi of South Africa captured four wickets for 60 runs in this game to provide the 233rd occasion of a bowler taking four or more wickets in an innings in the World Cup. It also provided the 19th occasion of a South African bowler taking four or more wickets in the World Cup.
- His spell provided the 19th occasion of a bowler capturing four or more wickets against Pakistan in the World Cup. It also provided the first occasion of a South African bowler capturing four or more wickets against Pakistan in the World Cup.
- Aiden Markram of South Africa scored 91 in this game to provide the 70th occasion of a batter scoring a ninety in an innings in the World Cup. It also provided the eleventh occasion of a South African batter scoring a ninety in the World Cup.
- Markram's knock provided the sixth occasion of a batter scoring a ninety against Pakistan in the World Cup. It also provided the first occasion of a South African batter scoring a ninety against Pakistan in the World Cup.
- Babar Azam’s 50 in this game was in a losing cause to provide the 66th occasion of a captain’s fifty going in vain in the World Cup. It also provided the 10th occasion of a Pakistan captain’s fifty in going in vain in the World Cup. Azam has witnessed his three World Cup fifties going in vain. He became the fifth captain in the World Cup to witness three or more fifties going in vain.
| Player | Runs | Team | Vs | Ground | Date |
| Mohammad Azharuddin | 93 | IND | AUS | Brisbane | 01-Mar-92 |
| Mohammad Azharuddin | 61 | IND | WI | Wellington | 10-Mar-92 |
| Mohammad Azharuddin | 55 | IND | NZ | Dunedin | 12-Mar-92 |
| Mohammad Azharuddin | 79 | IND | RSA | Adelaide | 15-Mar-92 |
| Mohammad Azharuddin | 72 no | IND | SL | Delhi | 02-Mar-96 |
| Babar Azam | 50 | PAK | IND | Ahmedabad | 14-Oct-23 |
| Babar Azam | 74 | PAK | AFG | Chennai | 23-Oct-23 |
| Babar Azam | 50 | PAK | RSA | Chennai | 27-Oct-23 |
| Jason Holder | 56 | WI | RSA | Sydney | 27-Feb-15 |
| Jason Holder | 57 | WI | IND | Perth | 06-Mar-15 |
| Jason Holder | 51 | WI | AUS | Nottingham | 06-Jun-19 |
| William Porterfield | 75 | IRE | IND | Bengaluru | 06-Mar-11 |
| William Porterfield | 67 | IRE | IND | Hamilton | 10-Mar-15 |
| William Porterfield | 107 | IRE | PAK | Adelaide | 15-Mar-15 |
| Steve Tikolo | 51 | KEN | AUS | Durban | 15-Mar-03 |
| Steve Tikolo | 56 | KEN | IND | Durban | 20-Mar-03 |
| Steve Tikolo | 76 | KEN | ENG | Gros Islet | 24-Mar-07 |
- Babar Azam has witnessed his three World Cup fifties in a single edition going in vain. He became the second captain in the World Cup to witness three or more fifties going in vain in a single edition.
- He became the second batter in the history of the World Cup to witness his two knocks of exact fifty going in vain. Brendan Taylor of Zimbabwe is the other batsman to suffer such an ignominy. Taylor scored 50 each against the West Indies in Kingston (2007) and Pakistan in Brisbane (2015).
| Team | Res | Opposition | Ground | Date |
| West Indies | won | v Pakistan | Birmingham | 11-Jun-75 |
| Pakistan | won | v West Indies | Lahore | 16-Oct-87 |
| South Africa | won | v Sri Lanka | Providence | 28-Mar-07 |
| England | won | v West Indies | Bridgetown | 21-Apr-07 |
| Afghanistan | won | v Scotland | Dunedin | 26-Feb-15 |
| New Zealand | won | v Australia | Auckland | 28-Feb-15 |
| South Africa | won | v Pakistan | Chennai | 27-Oct-23 |
- South Africa's victory marked the seventh occasion of a team winning a World Cup game by one wicket. TABLE
- It also provided the second occasion of South Africa winning a World Cup game by one wicket. They had defeated Sri Lanka by the same margin during the 2007 edition in Providence.
