Centurion Saim Ayub joins Kohli and others in elite club
Pakistan cricket team scripted history by becoming the first side to whitewash South Africa in an ODI series on their home soil. The victory was largely due to a stellar performance by Saim Ayub, who scored a century in the third ODI in Johannesburg. Ayub's knock of 101 runs off 94 balls, included 13 fours and two sixes, helping Pakistan set a target of 309 runs for the hosts.
Ayub's century propels Pakistan to 308/9
In the first innings, Pakistan scored a mammoth 308/9 in their allotted 47 overs. This was mainly due to Ayub's brilliant knock. He found good support in Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who scored 52 and 53 runs respectively. After Abdullah Shafique was dismissed for a golden duck, Ayub and Babar stitched a vital 114-run stand. The Southpaw then joined hands with his captain in a brisk 93-run partnership off just 75 balls.
Ayub joins elite list of visiting batters in SA
Ayub's century in the third ODI was his second hundred of the series, making him a member of an elite group of visiting batters with multiple tons in bilateral ODI series in South Africa. The list features cricketing greats like David Warner, Fakhar Zaman, Joe Root, Kevin Pietersen and Virat Kohli. Other Asian batters to hit ODI centuries in Johannesburg are Shikhar Dhawan, Fakhar Zaman, Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara.
Pakistan's bowlers seal victory against South Africa
Pakistan's bowlers were instrumental in achieving the victory. Sufiyan Muqeem took four wickets while Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah bagged two each. Their combined efforts restricted South Africa to 271 runs in 42 overs, ensuring a win for Pakistan by 36 runs (via DLS method). This marked the completion of an unprecedented whitewash against the Proteas on their home ground.
Ayub named Player of the Match and Series
After the match, Ayub was awarded Player of the Match and Player of the Series. He dedicated his awards to the team, saying "Very special because we won. This award is for the team. The entire team chipped in." Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan also took pride in the team's performance, especially in Ayub's contribution.
Ayub averages 64.37 in ODIs
In nine ODIs, Ayub owns 515 runs at 64.37. He has three tons and a fifty. Ayub finished the series versus South Africa with 235 runs at 78.33. His strike rate was 96.31. Meanwhile, this was his 7th century in List A cricket.
