Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma adopted a cautious approach against the Pakistan bowlers, who were exploiting low bounce and seam movement. The pair appeared composed, steadily rotating the strike and occasionally finding the boundary.
However, it was Mohammad Abbas’ delivery, which kept low and seamed in, that claimed the wicket of Markram just before the drinks break.
Shortly after, David Baddingham supported Bavuma, but the Proteas captain soon followed him back to the pavilion, left to rue his own dismissal.
In the 30th over, Abbas bowled a good-length delivery from around the wicket, angling into Bavuma. The South African captain attempted an uppish drive but played the wrong line, missing the ball on the inside edge, which went through to the keeper.
The umpire raised his finger to signal the dismissal, and Bavuma walked off without protest. However, replays from UltraEdge revealed there was no contact with the bat, leaving coach Shukri Conrad and Tristan Stubbs stunned in the dressing room.
— DJ Sinha (@sdj374531) December 29, 2024
Following this, South Africa’s lower order collapsed in dramatic fashion, prompting social media to quickly revive the ‘Choker’ tag.