South Africa rebounded from two heavy losses to secure a seven-wicket win over Afghanistan in the third and final match of their One Day International (ODI) series in Sharjah on Sunday.
Aiden Markram’s unbeaten 69, alongside a steady 26* from Tristan Stubbs, helped South Africa chase down Afghanistan’s total of 169 with ease, reaching 170/3 in 33 overs.
Afghanistan, after winning the toss and opting to bat, struggled to replicate their dominant performances from the earlier games. Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz was the standout once again, scoring 89 off 94 balls. However, his efforts were not enough as Afghanistan faced a string of misfortunes, including three runouts, leading to a total of just 169.
The Afghan innings suffered after Gurbaz’s dismissal, with Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, and Ikram Alikhil falling victim to South Africa’s sharp fielding. Despite a late unbeaten 31 from Allah Ghazanfar, Afghanistan couldn't post a challenging total.
In response, South Africa’s chase appeared comfortable despite losing three early wickets for 80 runs. Markram played aggressively, forming a crucial 90-run partnership with Stubbs, guiding South Africa to a comfortable victory.
This win offered South Africa some solace after suffering heavy defeats in the first two matches of the series, where Afghanistan claimed a 177-run victory and bowled out South Africa cheaply in the opener.
