After choosing to bowl, Pakistan made early incisions into South Africa's pink-kitted batting line-up and squeezed them in the first 15 overs at the Wanderers. Their early success was somewhat overturned, however, with Hashim Amla reaching his first half-century of the series and building a significant stand with AB de Villiers.
Pakistan's seamers started impressively, as they have done throughout the series. Mohammed Irfan found the same steep bounce he did in Centurion and got deliveries to rear off a good length, while Junaid Khan moved the ball into the right-handers.
Junaid troubled Amla as early as his second ball, when the South Africa opener was given out lbw but a review showed it had pitched just outside leg stump. Pakistan did not get their first wicket before South Africa opened their account after 14 balls, when Graeme Smith's patience ran out and he flayed to third man. He did not last much longer. In the same over, Smith chose to play at an Irfan delivery that bounced more than expected and took the inside edge on to his off stump.
Colin Ingram was in early again and looked to play positively. He drove Irfan through cover and point imperiously as Pakistan's bowlers started to offer some width. Still, they sent down 48 dot balls in the first ten overs and ensured South Africa's frustration built.
Irfan was brought back after an initial five-over spell and had success again. Ingram got a leading edge to depart for 17 and strengthen Pakistan's solid start, even though Wahab Riaz did not back up the new-ball pair quite as well as he would have liked.
De Villiers took advantage of a short ball down the pads to score the first boundary for 36 balls and bring up South Africa's fifty. His arrival accelerated the run rate noticeably and gave Amla space he needed to settle in after two starts in the series but not much more.
Amla was given a lifeline when Mohammad Hafeez put him down on 36 off Wahab. The ball after timing a drive through point to perfection, Amla pushed at one and edged to Hafeez who, despite getting both hands to it, dropped it at point.
With de Villiers constantly on the look out for scampered singles and in the mood to punish the bad ball, South Africa progressed rapidly and allowed only 21 dot balls in the second 10 overs. Amla was content to follow his lead and reached his half-century with a gentle touch down the ground.
Pakistan's spinners were introduced later than they have been in the previous two matches and Hafeez soon slowed things down in his usual fashion. Amla and de Villiers were well set, though and had given the middle and lower order a platform to launch from, unless Pakistan can pull them back with Saeed Ajmal's full quota of overs still available.
50 overs South Africa 343 for 5 (Amla 122, de Villiers 128) v Pakistan
When only 26 runs came off the first ten overs, it did not look like South Africa would post a 300-plus total, but Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers proved otherwise. The pair had a record third-wicket stand of 238 and scored at 7.84 to the over to set Pakistan a daunting task in the second half of the match at the Wanderers.
50 overs South Africa 343 for 5 (Amla 122, de Villiers 128) v Pakistan
When only 26 runs came off the first ten overs, it did not look like South Africa would post a 300-plus total, but Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers proved otherwise. The pair had a record third-wicket stand of 238 and scored at 7.84 to the over to set Pakistan a daunting task in the second half of the match at the Wanderers.
That, however, was not the only worry for the visiting team. Mohammed Irfan, the seven-foot fast bowler, left the field after he had bowled only seven overs. He returned briefly and then went off again. Irfan had come into the match with a hamstring strain that he picked up during the second ODI in Centurion.
He was one of only two bowlers to keep South Africa quiet for a while. Junaid Khan was the other, and the two were outstanding with the new ball, but none of the other bowlers sustained the pressure. Wahab Riaz missed his lengths and the spinners were cannon fodder for a pair of batsmen who moved their feet as well as they used their wrists.
Pakistan's impressive start was the result of steep bounce from Irfan and movement into the right-hander from Junaid, who troubled Amla and had him given out lbw with his second ball, but the review showed it had pitched just outside leg. After 14 dot balls Graeme Smith's patience ran out and he flayed to third man. His hastiness cost him when, in the same over, he chose to play at an Irfan delivery that bounced more than expected and took the inside edge onto his off stump.
Colin Ingram was in early again and drove Irfan through the covers and point imperiously as Pakistan started to offer some width. Still, they bowled 48 dot balls in the first ten overs and ensured South Africa's frustration built. Irfan accounted for Ingram in his second spell but that was where the incision ended.
De Villiers hit the first boundary for 36 balls as soon as he arrived. His approach gave Amla the time he needed to settle in. He was also given a lifeline on 36, when Mohammad Hafeez dropped a straightforward catch at point.
Just as de Villiers and Amla were beginning to feel comfortable, Pakistan turned to spin. Saeed Ajmal was saved until the halfway point in the innings but even he was targeted. De Villiers and Amla played a range of shots as eye-catching as the pink kit they were wearing: sweeps, reverse-sweeps, lofts, pushes, glances and cuts, all expertly timed and sprinkled with delicate touches.
De Villiers twirled his wrists to beat point and third man, and moved across his off stump to ramp Wahab Riaz over short fine leg. He fell in the process but never lost control of the shot. His back-to-back sixes off Hafeez, a slog sweep and then a smash over extra cover, where arguably his best today.
Amla's placement was his hallmark, as he peppered the covers with beautiful drives. He mixed that with aggression, smacking Afridi over long-off.
As the stand grew and the pair threw caution to the wind, they both fell. Amla was caught at extra cover and de Villiers top-edged to midwicket after bringing up the 300. Their dismissals did little to lift Pakistan.
Faf du Plessis promptly scored the most runs off an over in the innings when he dispatched Wahab for 20 runs: two shots were streaky edges to third man but the two sixes were anything but lucky. A straight one and one to deep midwicket underlined du Plessis cameo, which took South Africa to over 340. Wahab removed him at the end, little consolation for conceding the most runs by a Pakistan bowler in an ODI - 93.
25 overs Pakistan 133 for 5 (Misbah 10*, Afridi 0*) need 211 runs to beat South Africa 343 for 5 (Amla 122, de Villiers 128)
Pakistan stuttered and then slumped as they attempted to equal their highest total batting second in an ODI, in reply to South Africa's 343 for 5. Mohammed Hafeez anchored the first third of the innings with an aggressive half-century but lost two partners before falling himself, with Pakistan still needing to score at more than seven runs an over.
Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed started conservatively against Dale Steyn but soon discovered a lack of swing and room to attack. Jamshed hit two boundaries but gave away his wicket early, when he chipped a good length ball to Hashim Amla at mid-off.
Kamran Akmal was promoted, a move that brought some success. He pounded on width from Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Steyn's short balls to set the tone. While there was still a degree of circumspection to the approach, Hafeez and Akmal scored fairly quickly and managed to find the boundary 13 times in the 13 overs they were together, accumulating 82 runs.
Hafeez brought up a half-century with back-to-back sixes off Robin Peterson. They took Pakistan to 98 inside 17 overs before Akmal tried to uppercut a slower bouncer from Ryan McLaren but edged behind.
Hafeez retreated into a shell once Younis Khan arrived and eventually the frustration got to him. He holed out against Peterson to mid-on, where Dale Steyn, who has dismissed him five times on the tour, was waiting. South African celebrations were wild as they realised they had removed the biggest threat.
Younis hit two fours before his poor series continued and he played on, trying to cut Peterson. He played for turn but the delivery held its line to leave Misbah in yet another situation where he had to rescue the team. Shoaib Malik deserted him in the effort, going in the same way Jamshed did, and with only Shahid Afridi to come, South Africa sensed a series lead awaiting them.
50 overs Pakistan 309 lost South Africa 343 for 5 by 34 runs
South Africa were pretty and effective in pink as they took the series lead in a thriller at the Wanderers. But they almost saw red as Shahid Afridi scored his first half-century since February last year to keep Pakistan in the game well into its latter stages.
50 overs Pakistan 309 lost South Africa 343 for 5 by 34 runs
South Africa were pretty and effective in pink as they took the series lead in a thriller at the Wanderers. But they almost saw red as Shahid Afridi scored his first half-century since February last year to keep Pakistan in the game well into its latter stages.
Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers shared a record third-wicket stand of 238 and scored at 7.84 to the over to set Pakistan a massive target before South Africa's bowlers used variation to stub out any chance of a successful chase.
After taking a bruising the field, with the third seamer Wahab Riaz conceding 93 runs, the most number of runs by a Pakistan bowler in an ODI, they needed someone to bat through. Mohammed Hafeez appeared the man up for the task with an aggressive half-century, but middle order wobbles meant it was up to Afridi to bludgeon the team home and he almost did.
To begin with, at 26 for 2, having faced 48 dot balls in 10 overs, it did not look as though South Africa would post a 300-plus score. It took 14 balls before they recorded their first run and both Graeme Smith and Colin Ingram grew impatient with the difficulties of contending with extra bounce from Mohammad Irfan and movement into the right-hander from Junaid Khan.
Hashim Amla was given out lbw off Junaid's second ball but it was found to have pitched just outside leg on review. That was one of the lifelines given to Amla, the other came when he was dropped on 36, edging to point after a somewhat shaky start.
Amla had de Villiers' boundless energy to keep the run-rate moving while he settled in and when he did, Pakistan were left to rue their generosity. De Villiers showed his intent as he arrived at the crease when he broke a boundary drought that had lasted 36 balls, and he did not stop there.
Misbah-ul-Haq saved Saeed Ajmal until the half-way point in the innings, and de Villiers and Amla tucked in. They brought out a range of shots as eyecatching as the pink kit they were wearing and a reminder of why they are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the world. They had it all: sweeps, reverse-sweeps, lofts, pushes, glances and cuts, all expertly timed and sprinkled with delicate touches.
De Villiers twirled his wrists to beat point and third man and moved across his off-stump to ramp Wahab over short-fine. He fell in the process but never lost control of the shot. His back-to-back sixes off Hafeez, a slog sweep and then a smash over extra cover were arguably the best of his innovative knock. His century came off 87 deliveries.
Amla's was also scored at better than a run a ball, his taking 99 balls. Placement was his hallmark as he peppered the covers with beautiful drives. He mixed that with aggression, evident in his smack off Afridi over long-off. His footwork, especially his dance across the offstump to hit on the on-side, remained unmatched for its quality.
As the stand grew and the pair threw caution to the wind, they both fell. Amla was caught at extra cover and de Villiers top-edged to midwicket after bringing up the 300. Their dismissals would have done nothing to lift Pakistan, though. Faf du Plessis promptly recorded the most expensive over of the innings when he dispatched Wahab for 20 runs and his cameo ensured Pakistan would have a big battle on their hands.
They stuttered from the get-go when Nasir Jamshed gave away his wicket, chipping a good length, slower ball to mid-off.
Kamran Akmal was promoted up the order again, a move that brought some success. He pouched on width from Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Steyn's short ball. There was still a degree of circumspection to his and Hafeez's approach but they scored fairly quickly for the 13 overs they were together.
They accumulated 82 runs and found the boundary 13 times, Hafeez hitting back to back sixes off Robin Peterson to bring up his half-century. Hafeez and Kamran took Pakistan to three runs short of a 100 inside 17 overs before Akmal tried to upper cut a Ryan McLaren slower bouncer but edged behind.
Hafeez retreated into a shell once Younis Khan arrived and eventually the frustration boiled over. He holed out to mid-on off Robin Peterson, where Steyn, who has dismissed him five times all told on the tour, was waiting. South African celebrations were wild as they thought they had removed the biggest threat.
But there was another to come. Afridi showed some of his boom boom in the first ODI in Bloemfontein but brought the rest to Johannesburg. None of the seamers executed the yorker Allan Donald promised they had been practicing and offered Afridi length, which he lapped up. He cleared the boundary, over mid-wicket and long-off, four times to get South African nerves jangling as he brought up a half-century off 31 balls.
Misbah's dismissal did not stop him, if anything, it only spurred him on. Despite carrying a bruised thumb after being hit by Steyn, he swatted four more boundaries before inside-edging onto his stumps off a McLaren low full toss on 73. Replays showed it was a no-ball.
Afridi made a mockery of McLaren's free-hit delivery, smoking him for what could be the biggest six seen at the Wanderers. The ball landed on the roof of the stand at the Golf Course End and then rolled over it.
In the next over, Afridi was dropped by Smith at deep extra cover but his luck eventually ran out. Tsotsobe still missed the yorker length and offered a full toss, which Afridi hit to long-off where McLaren took the catch. He checked for a no-ball because of the height but the delivery was legitimate and an entertaining knock ended with Pakistan still needing 100 runs to win.
It was expected to be a bridge too far but Wahab came close to crossing it. He batted for seven overs with Saeed Ajmal, putting on 38 runs to set up a final assault. When Ajmal was caught at mid-off, Wahab kept going, placing his shots well and finding gaps.
Junaid Khan also abandoned him and it was up to Irfan, who had earlier left the field with a hamstring injury, to hang on until the end. But it was Wahab who could not. He was yorked by Kleinveldt, who finally got it right, at the start of the 49th over to end a spirited contest.
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