Salman Agha, the off-break bowler from Pakistan, really turned the game around by taking four wickets in just 3.2 overs during the first ODI at Boland Park, Paarl. He was the standout bowler for Pakistan, striking quickly and putting South Africa's batting order on the back foot, which gave the visitors a solid advantage in the match.

South Africa got off to a decent start after batting first, with Tony de Zorzi scoring 33 and Ryan Rickelton adding 36 as they put together a 70-run partnership for the first wicket. In a bid to break the partnership, captain Mohammad Rizwan brought spinner Agha into the attack early during the powerplay. Agha faced a tough time initially, conceding three boundaries in his second over, but he quickly turned things around by taking de Zorzi's wicket on the fourth ball of that over. He continued to make an impact, dismissing Rickelton in his third over, followed by Rassie van der Dussen (8) and Tristian Stubbs (1) shortly after.

Despite having two overs left to bowl, Agha couldn't secure his first ODI five-wicket haul. Rizwan opted not to bring him back after the 22nd over, and Agha ended his spell with impressive figures of four wickets for 32 runs in eight overs.

Klaasen leads South Africa to a score of 239 for 9.

Wicketkeeper batter Heinrich Klaasen stepped up for the Proteas, pulling them out of a tough spot and helping them set a solid total of 239/9 in their 50 overs. He narrowly missed a century but still made a significant contribution with an 86-run innings off 97 balls. Alongside Afgha, spinner Abrar Ahmed took two wickets, while Shaheen Shah Afridi and Saim Ayub each picked up one.

Before the match, Mohammad Rizwan mentioned that about 70 percent of the team would likely stay the same for next year's Champions Trophy, making this series really important for Pakistan.

“We wanted to bat first too. Sure, we’re hosting the Champions Trophy, but the conditions will be different, and the squad will be about 70% the same. The guys are excited for the series. We’ve got three seamers and one spinner,” Rizwan shared at the toss.

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