Pakistan's 22-year-old batting sensation Saim Ayub struck his second century of the ODI series in South Africa to lead a historic 3-0 sweep, which also put him in the company of modern-day legends Virat Kohli and Joe Root.
After a century in the first match of the series, Ayub struck 101 off 94 balls on Sunday in Johannesburg to power Pakistan to 308 for 9 in the rain-shortened 47-overs-a-side match.
ALSO WATCH His knock included 13 fours and two sixes, coming at a strike rate of 107.45.
The second hundred of the series put left-hand batter Ayub in the company of Kohli, Root, David Warner, Kevin Pietersen and fellow Pakistani Fakhar Zaman, who complete the list of visiting batters to have scored two or more hundreds in a bilateral ODI series in South Africa.
While Zaman, Root and now Ayub have two hundreds each in that list, Kohli, Warner and Pietersen have scored three centuries apiece.
Defending a big total of 308, Pakistan dismissed the Proteas for 271 in 42 overs, with wrist-spinner Sufiyan Muqeem starring with the ball. He finished with figures of 4 for 52.
Heinrich Klaasen top-scored for the hosts with his knock of 81 off just 43 balls, but it went in vain as Pakistan secured victory by 36 runs (DLS method).
The win made Pakistan the first team to register an ODI series sweep in South Africa.
The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
Read MoreThe TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide.
From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more.
The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics.
We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects.
We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.
Read Less