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NEW DELHI: Babar Azam’s much-anticipated instrumentality to T20 internationals turned into a nightmare connected Tuesday arsenic Pakistan crashed to a 55-run decision against an under-strength South Africa successful the bid opener astatine Rawalpindi.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Making his archetypal T20I quality since December 2024, Babar’s comeback lasted conscionable 2 balls earlier helium was dismissed for a duck, offering a elemental drawback to Reeza Hendricks astatine cover. The dismissal stunned a packed 16,000-strong assemblage that had erupted successful cheers arsenic helium walked retired to bat, conscionable 9 runs abbreviated of breaking Rohit Sharma’s all-time T20I runs record. Moments later, Rawalpindi fell soundless arsenic Pakistan’s astir celebrated batter trudged backmost to the pavilion.WATCH:Babar Azam's dismissal for a duck successful RawalpindiThe evening besides saw Babar driblet George Linde successful the 17th implicit — a elemental drawback astatine mid-on that not lone spared the South African all-rounder but besides rolled implicit the bound rope. Linde capitalised connected the reprieve, hammering 36 disconnected 22 balls to propel South Africa to 194/9 aft being enactment successful to bat.WATCH:Babar Azam's driblet drawback to springiness George Linde a respiteReeza Hendricks anchored the innings with a fluent 40-ball 60, portion debutant Tony de Zorzi chipped successful with a blistering 33 disconnected 16.
Despite Mohammad Nawaz’s 3/26 and a mates of tidy overs from Saim Ayub (2/31), Pakistan’s bowlers struggled to incorporate the Proteas’ aboriginal onslaught, peculiarly during the powerplay wherever the visitors piled up 74 runs.In reply, Pakistan’s pursuit ne'er took off. Corbin Bosch led the Proteas’ complaint with 4/14, dismissing some openers earlier sending Babar backmost early. Only Ayub (37 disconnected 28) and Nawaz (36 disconnected 20) offered absorption arsenic Pakistan folded for 139 successful 18.1 overs.With the bid moving to Lahore for the remaining 2 matches, Babar volition anticipation to rewrite his comeback communicative — and soundlessness the increasing whispers astir his T20 future.
