PAARL, South Africa — A remarkable display from allrounder Salman Agha propelled Pakistan to an opening victory against South Africa in their one-day international held on Tuesday.

Salman scored an impressive unbeaten 82 runs from 90 balls, guiding Pakistan to a well-timed win by three wickets, clinching the game with three balls to spare.

He also made a significant impact with the ball, taking 4 wickets for 32 runs, which dismantled South Africa’s top order and contributed to their struggle to post a total of only 239-9.

While chasing a target of 240, Pakistan found themselves in a vulnerable position at 60-4 in the 20th over. A breakthrough moment came when Salman was dropped behind the stumps when he had just 6 runs, allowing him to make the most of the opportunity without giving another chance to South Africa.

At that stage, he partnered with opener Saim Ayub to stabilize the innings.

Saim, who narrowly missed a century in a Twenty20 match just a week ago, notched his second ODI century in this match, scoring 109 runs off 119 balls before being caught at fine leg after a pull shot off Kagiso Rabada.

Their partnership yielded a staggering 141 runs by the 42nd over, placing Pakistan well within striking distance of the target while maintaining a solid run rate.

Despite losing two additional wickets, Salman managed to steer the team through with crucial singles, assisted by lower-order batter Naseem Shah, ultimately leading Pakistan to a total of 242-7.

South Africa opted to bat first, and their openers, Tony de Zorzi and Ryan Rickelton, started strong, reaching 70 runs without a loss by the end of the powerplay.

However, the situation deteriorated quickly as Salman’s bowling dismantled their batting lineup, leaving South Africa at 88-4 within just four overs.

He bowled out Rassie van der Dussen and Tristan Stubbs in rapid succession.

Heinrich Klaasen anchored the South African innings with an essential 86 runs off 97 balls, but his dismissal by Shaheen Shah Afridi in the 45th over marked a significant turning point.

South Africa, while looking ahead to their upcoming test series aimed at reaching the World Test Championship final, made strategic decisions by resting captain Temba Bavuma. They faced additional challenges with a last-minute withdrawal of spinner Keshav Maharaj due to a groin injury occurring just before the toss.

The second ODI is scheduled to take place on Thursday in Cape Town.