SA vs PAK: 2nd ODI, Match Prediction – Who will win today’s match?

Preview

The opening game of the ODI series was an absolute nail-biter as it went right down the wire. In the end, Pakistan came trumps by three wickets at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. South Africa have a task at their hands and need a win to stay alive in the series. In Johannesburg, the Proteas beat Pakistan in four out of five ODIs, though the latter won by eight wickets in their last meeting at the venue.

Match Details

Match – South Africa vs Pakistan – 2nd ODI

Venue – The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Time – 1:30 PM IST, 10:00 AM Local

Where to watch live – Star Sports Network, Hotstar

Pitch Report

The pitch in Johannesburg has been fairly good for batting over the years. Playing shots on the up may not be all that tough. The track also helps the team, batting second and hence, chasing should be the way forward. The playing conditions would be cloudy with the temperature around 20 degrees Celsius. There are no chances of a downpour and the humidity will mostly be in the 40s and 50s.

Avg score: 259 (49 ODIs at The Wanderers Stadium)

Record of chasing teams: Won – 29, Lost – 20, NR – 0

Probable Playing XIs:

South Africa

Quinton de Kock (WK), Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma (C), Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi

Bench: Beuran Hendricks, Keshav Maharaj, Janneman Malan, Janneman Malan, JJ Smuts, Sisanda Magala, Wiaan Mulder, Lizaad Williams, Kyle Verreynne, Daryn Duppavillon, Lutho Sipamla,

Pakistan

Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Danish Aziz/Haider Ali, Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf/Hasan Ali

Bench: Abdullah Shafique, Usman Qadir, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Hasan Ali/Danish Aziz, Danish Aziz/Haider Ali

Head-to-Head

Played – 80 | South Africa – 50 | Pakistan – 29 |N/R – 1

Probable best batsman of the match

Babar Azam- Pakistan

Babar Azam became the Player of the Match in the first game after he scored a match-winning century. His partnership of 177 with Imam-ul-Haq set the platform for Pakistan during the run-chase. He was circumspect to start with but upped the ante later on. Against the Proteas, Babar has 398 runs at an average of 66.33. The 26-year-old would be looking for another substantial knock.

Probable best bowler of the match

Anrich Nortje – South Africa

Anrich Nortje can touch the 150 kmph mark on a consistent basis and has been a genuine wicket-taker for his country. The other day in Centurion, he inflicted the Pakistan batting with some telling blows and brought the hosts back into the contest. Nortje picked up four wickets after Babar and Imam put the home team on the backfoot. The speedster would be hoping for another decent spell.

Today’s match prediction: The team, batting second to win the match.

Disclaimer: This prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.