Half-centuries from Saim Ayub, Salman Agha, Mohammed Nawaz kept the Pakistan innings together after Nandre Burger and Nqaba Peter shone with the ball for the Proteas in the second ODI in Faisalabad on Tuesday.
Burger reduced Pakistan to 22/3 within the first five overs, sending Fakhar Zaman (0), Babar Azam (11) and Mohammad Rizwan (4) back to the dressing room, in a fiery opening spell upon his return to the Proteas ODI side.
This brought Salman Agha to the crease with the Pakistan T20I captain beginning the rebuilding phase with opener Saim Ayub.
The pair were prepared to be patient through a 92-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Ayub moved to his half-century off 61 balls (5×4, 1×6) in the process but fell shortly afterwards for 53 when Corbin Bosch completed a smart caught and bowled.
Hussain Talat did not last much longer either before he too was dismissed in similar fashion to offer Nqaba Peter (3/55) his first wicket on Pakistan soil.
Agha continued to keep the Proteas attack at bay though, carving out his fifty off 82 balls. It formed part of another 59-run partnership with Mohammad Nawaz as Pakistan tried to stay afloat.
But just when the home side were looking to put their foot down on the accelerator heading into the final 10 overs, Bosch delivered an inch-perfect yorker that cleaned up Agha for 63 to leave Pakistan at 190/5.
The home fires were kept burning by Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf (28 off 18 balls) though with the pair adding a quick fire 43 off 35 balls before Burger (4/46) intervened again.
The Proteas leaked 90 runs in the last 10 overs, but also claimed four wickets with Nqaba picking up a couple more to finish with the career-best figures of 3/55 as Pakistan rallied to six runs more than the Proteas were unable to defend in the first match of the series two days ago.
Second ODI, Faisalabad
Pakistan: 269/9 (Agha 69, Nawaz 59, Ayub 53, Burger 4/46, Peter 3/55, Bosch 2/58)
South Africa requires 270 runs to win
