Having also conceded 105 runs in the last 10 overs in Cape Town, it’s clear that there is another problem — to go alongside all the extras that are being regularly conceded (which included 15 wides on Sunday) — that needs to be resolved before the Champions Trophy.
Pakistan reached 308/9 at the end of an innings reduced to 47 overs because of rain, thanks to a 74-run sixth wicket partnership off only 47 balls between Tayyab and Agha Salman — during which the latter struck one of the shots of the season, a reverse scoop off the back of his bat that sent the ball sailing for six.
South Africa generally looked flat with the ball and in the field. Bjorn Fortuin dropped Babar Azam at point when he had 10, with Babar going on to score 52, while mis-fields on the ground handed Pakistan an extra 15 runs. Apart from Fortuin (2/56) and Kagiso Rabada (3/56), the home team’s bowlers struggled with their control.
The batting fared little better with the same difficulties that cropped up in the first two games apparent once more — the lack of runs from the top order. There have been four scores of 30 from the top order in the series, yet none of the batters have turned those starts into innings’ of substance.
Meanwhile Aiden Markram looks bereft and it must be hoped his fragile confidence isn’t transferred to the first Test, starting on Boxing Day.
It was left to Heinrich Klaasen to once again launch a furious assault, as he plundered his third half century of the series — a bruising 81 off only 43 balls — but it wasn’t enough to make up for all the errors from his teammates. The Proteas lost by 36 runs according to the DLS method.
It was the sixth defeat in nine ODIs for SA this year and they will head into next year’s Champions Trophy competition with a whole lot more questions, than was the case ahead of last year’s World Cup.