Rassie van der Dussen, Andile Phehlukwayo seal nervy chase for South Africa

A 62-ball partnership of 65 between Rassie van der Dussen and Andile Phehlukwayo shepherded South Africa to a win against Afghanistan in their last league-stage game of the 2023 ODI World Cup, ensuring they didn't stutter in a tricky chase before their semi-final against Australia.

Phehlukwayo came in as the No. 7 with South Africa requiring 63 however with Afghanistan's spinners then having the game's energy. Phehlukwayo completed the game with 6, 4, 6 to complete unbeaten on 39 while van der Dussen controlled the pursuit with his 95-ball 76*.

In the early evening, Gerald Coetzee (4-44) and Keshav Maharaj (2-25) had guaranteed Afghanistan could make 244 out of 50 overs. Truth be told, the objective might have been substantially less had it not been for Azmatullah Omarzai's unbeaten 97 that skillfully kept the disintegrating Afghanistan innings intact.

"We battled right till the latest possible second", Afghanistan commander Hashmatullah Shahidi said after their loss, and that summarized their bowling exertion as well. They returned amazingly after South Africa's openers put on 64 for the primary wicket yet Mujeeb Ur Rahman's wicket of Temba Bavuma (23) and Mohammad Nabi's wicket of Quinton de Kock (41) with hardly a pause in between applied strain on South Africa.

Driven by Rashid Khan's penetrative and upsetting spell of 2 for 37, Afghanistan additionally took out Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen and David Mill operator without the threesome causing a lot of harm, and when Phehlukwayo - playing his most memorable round of the World Cup - joined van der Dussen, it appeared as though Afghanistan were another wicket away from uncovering the lower request. That didn't occur, and South Africa disregarded any waiting questions about their pursuing abilities.

For van der Dussen, the Player of the Match, his unbeaten innings of 76 was his fourth fifty or more score of the World Cup. He strolled in at 64 for 1, and clinically turned the strike almost immediately. Taking all things together, he scored 38 runs off singles and four off twos in his 95-ball innings - when each 2.26 conveyances.

That assisted him with keeping steady over the Afghan spinners through the center overs, and when Noor Ahmad or Mujeeb failed, he rebuffed them to keep South Africa's score moving. His solidness toward one side guaranteed South Africa were never behind in the game in any event, when wickets fell routinely, and he was solid behind square, hitting five of his six fours between profound third and profound in reverse square leg.

Prior in the day, Afghanistan selected to bat first realizing they required an unrealistically 438-run triumph to move to fourth on the focuses table. The initial stand bloomed momentarily, yet two successive wicket-lady overs bowled by Maharaj and Coetzee sent both Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran back before the powerplay finished. Maharaj then, at that point, prised out Shahidi to diminish Afghanistan to 45 for 3 and proceeded to deliver a tightfisted spell of 2 for 25 that included 41 specks and no limits.

Coetzee brought the fire through the center overs, giving areas of strength for an of himself through the early center overs when Lungi Ngidi was out with a hamstring issue. He would likewise get Ibrahim Alikhil and Noor captured behind, and furthermore excused Mujeeb with a short ball to get done with 4 for 44. Rabada went wicketless yet just yielded 40 out of 10 overs while Ngidi's two wickets held Afghanistan within proper limits despite the fact that he was costly at the demise.

Afghanistan's wrecker-in-boss, particularly when it came to Ngidi, was Omarzai, who strolled in at 45 for 3, however held stronghold even as wickets tumbled close by him. In the organization of Rashid and Noor, he hauled Afghanistan from 116 for 6 to 204 for 8 preceding a late attack took him quickly towards a long period. A clean Rabada over guaranteed he would fall three runs low, but his innings of seven fours and three sixes guaranteed Afghanistan had a score they might actually protect, regardless of whether it wasn't to be eventually.

Afghanistan finish the World Cup with their heads held high, dominating four matches in nine, and practically winning a fifth. This is their best-ever World Cup execution and they have likewise gotten their spot in the 2025 Heroes Prize. They are affirmed somewhere around 6th put on the table. South Africa currently have a rematch of the 1999 semi-last looking for them in Kolkata, and in the event that they win there, they'll be back in Ahmedabad for the last on November 19.