Watch: Babar, Rizwan shattered, Haris buries face after Pakistan denied match-winning wicket in DRS heartbreak vs SA

Pakistan faced their fourth successive loss in the 2023 World Cup on Friday, and are all but eliminated from the tournament. With only three games remaining, Babar Azam's men will not only have to clinch wins in every match, that too by a big margin but also rely on other results to go in their favour. Aiden Markram cracked a crucial half-century (91) as South Africa broke their 24-year World Cup jinx against Pakistan in Chennai, registering a nervy one-wicket victory and inching closer to securing a semi-final place with their fifth win in six matches.

Undoubtedly the closest game in the 2023 edition so far, the match in Chennai saw Pakistan mounting a late comeback after posting 270 on the board; the side needed three wickets to win with Proteas requiring 21 runs. Despite a stellar effort from the pace trio of Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Wasim Jr, it was the Proteas who prevailed as Keshav Maharaj held his nerve to guide his team home.

The heartbreak for Pakistan preceded a crushing moment in the 46th over of the innings, when Haris Rauf – in his final over – was denied a golden opportunity to clinch a match-winning wicket. On the last ball of his over, Rauf trapped no.11 batter Tabraiz Shamsi in front of the stumps. It was a length delivery angling into the right-hander and hit Shamsi on the back-pad; a massive appeal from Pakistan fielders was turned down by the on-field umpire Alex Wharf, and Babar Azam promptly signalled for a review.

Watch: Babar unleashes fury on Nawaz for glaring error; Pakistan in all-time low

In a moment that crushed the hearts of Pakistan fans – as well as players on the field – the ball did hit the stumps, but not enough to overturn the decision. The ball-tracking visual showed the ball barely kissing past the leg stump, and it was given umpire's call, eventually saving Shamsi. Haris, devastated by the visuals that were also shown on the big screen, went down on the ground while burying his head; Mohammad Rizwan consoled the pacer as the players regrouped for the next over.

VIDEO: Pakistan players Haris, Rizwan, Babar crestfallen after DRS denies match-winning wicket wicket vs South Africa in World Cup

Here is the picture of the ball-tracking result, which eventually denied Pakistan a shot at win:

Following the crucial reprieve, Maharaj and Shamsi skillfully played out the last remaining pacer Mohammad Wasim jr. Maharaj, then, smashed the winning boundary by pulling the left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz to backward square leg. This victory elevated South Africa to the top of the standings with 10 points earned from five victories.

Earlier in the match, Pakistan had posted a total of 270 runs, driven by half-centuries from Saud Shakeel (52) and captain Babar Azam (50).